The Flower in the Lake
by Slywolf9
Summary: Katniss. The name tugged on his memories. He knew that name. He remembered brown hair and rope and knots... With his memories stolen by amnesia, Finnick turns to District 12 to start over again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

* * *

The first few days were a blur, all hazy and full of pain. The bits he could recollect weren't pleasant. Darkness, blood, agony. A tunnel of some kind. He knew he had to keep moving or he would die. That was his blood surrounding him. A missing hand, he discovered, an immobile leg. He noted these things in a detached sort of way, his mind not quite there.

Then he was on the ground. There was rubble all around him. He drug himself as far as he could before he gave up. It was too much to bear anymore. A face invaded his mind, but it was blurry. Brown hair, softly waving around her face...then blackness.

The next memory was bright white. Nothing but a mechanical whirring in the background, and the padding of shoes on the ground. Surprisingly all the pain was gone.

"Awake, are you?" asked a woman to his right. She had a shock of pink hair, little jewels embedded around her eyes. He thought it was the weirdest thing he had ever seen. Or maybe it wasn't, he couldn't remember. The woman checked some bags near his bed, and he noted that little tubes ran down to his arm. With a slight shock he noticed that there were no hand where one ought to be.

The nurse, noticing the sudden increase in heart rate, supplied, "You've lost your right hand and leg below the knee. We've repaired you the best we can, but..." she trailed off. "Well, anyway, we're going to be getting you some prosthetics soon. You just focus on getting better."

He stared at where his hand should be, feeling the loss keenly. He closed his eyes again, and the vision re-entered his mind. The woman's face, soft waves of chestnut hair...not in focus enough for anything else, but he felt his heart tighten. Sighing, he closed his eyes and willed himself back to sleep.

* * *

"Doing well today," the woman said as she watched him hobble along on his new leg.

He smiled at her. "Yes, Trinia," he said. "Getting used to these things is taking a while though."

"Just keep at it. And everything else?" Trinity asked him. "Have you remembered anything?"

"No," he lied. The only thing he remembered he didn't want to share.

"Well, we can't just keep calling you 'Patient 2756'," Trinia told him. "You need a real name." Name. He couldn't remember his name. "Any ideas?" she prompted.

He thought about it for a moment. "No."

"Well what do you like? Let's pick you a name."

"I like..." He paused to think for a moment. "I like...water. The ocean."

"I can see that," Trinia said. "Your eyes remind me of the ocean. Let's see...ocean, beach, waves, sea-foam, fishing, current...none of these huh?" He shook his head. "How about some gods then? Aegaeon, Pontus, Triton, Fontus, Neptune, Poseidon."

He made a face. "Ugh."

Trinia laughed. "You're so hard to please. What about the name of some seas. Carribean, Baltic, Aegean - we already said that name - Scotia...um, Coral Sea, Red Sea, Dead Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea..."

"I like Caspian," he said.

Trinia raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Okay...Caspian," she said, testing it out. "Well, are you ready for a big surprise?" Trinia went to a room in the back and returned with a box. With a great flourish she opened the box to reveal a bionic hand. "Now, I know it's not very pretty, and it's still a bit experimental, but I fought so hard for you to be the one to try it out..."

Trinia trailed off, anxiously peering into his-Caspian's-face. Tentatively he touched it, feeling its shiny, cold exterior. "Yeah." He looked into Trinia's eyes and he didn't notice the way her breath caught. "Thank you, Trinia."

"You're welcome Caspian," Trinia responded, a light flush on her cheeks. "Let's go get this on."

* * *

"How long can I stay?"

"Well, you've been here for a six months already...I suppose you're about ready to be discharged," Trinia told him, applying thick cream to his face while he stared out the window. It was easier to get around now, though he was still clumsy on his new leg, and hadn't quite gotten used to his new hand either.

"I hate this stuff," he told her.

"I know, Caspian, but it's good for your scars."

He sighed minutely. The first time he'd seen himself since waking up had been traumatizing. His face was scabbed and wretched, the new flesh they had melded on to his face to make up for the parts missing an angry red. He was unrecognizable. Despite assurances from Trinia that he was looking better day by day he refused to see himself again.

"Who is paying for all of this?" he asked her.

"Hmm. Well, President Paylor mandated that any injured person brought to us following the war was to be treated as best as possible, no matter what. So, the Capitol I guess," Trinia said, massaging the cream onto his arm next.

"Where will I go when I leave?" he asked her next. It had been weighing heavily on his mind. He didn't know who he was, where he was from. The only thing in his mind was the blurry face of the woman with the dark hair.

Trinia paused in her ministrations. "Well, I don't know I guess. Usually amnesiacs will regain their memories quickly, or else it is recommended they go back to their home. But we don't know where that is with you." Trinia thoughtfully resumed smearing the cream on his body scars. "You could go to one of the Districts, I suppose. They're all rebuilding, and it would be easier to make a life there than here, I suppose," she said. "I know District Twelve is in complete shambles. They are starting from the ground up."

"What do they do there?" he asked her. Trinia had briefly explained about each District but he was on heavy pain killers then and couldn't recall.

"Coal. I hear there are plans to put in a medicine factory once it gets up and running again. They're going to need workers, and it might be a good place for you to be, what with your special attachments," she mused. She gave his cheek a pat. "There, all done. My, you are handsome, in spite of it all. Won't you look?"

He shook his head. "When can I check out?"

Trinia frowned. "You're so anxious to leave me." Truth be told, he'd been starting to feel restless. There was something he needed to do, someone he needed to find. "You can check out as early as next week."

He nodded, flexing his bionic hand. It still took some getting used to, but slowly he was adjusting. Each step on his new leg, each time he managed to grip something with his fake hand. He was determined.

* * *

He stood at the front desk, waiting for the receptionist to stop tapping her fingers against the keys. He was finally leaving, though he didn't know to where, really.

"Okay, you're free to go," said the receptionist, a fake smile on his face. The receptionist had puke green hair plastered to his head, and strange make up all over his face in swirling patterns.

"Thanks," Caspian muttered, taking the paper handed to him. He turned to talk outside, the first time he'd be in the sunshine since he woke up in the hospital.

As he headed toward the door, someone yelled his name. "Wait! Wait!" Trinia was running toward him as fast as she could in her oddly shaped heels. She panted for a few moments before she righted herself, fixing her nurse's outfit. "I wanted to give you this."

Trinia held out a metal tin to him. Curious he opened it to find some of the same scar cream she insisted on rubbing on him since his skin was healed enough to warrant it. "Thanks," he said.

"Now, I know you don't remember anything," she said lowly, pulling something from her coat pocket, "and that you don't know where you are going, so I took the liberty of getting you started." She held out a wallet to him. Inside was an ID with the name "Caspian Sea" and his picture on it, several hundred dollars and a train ticket.

His mouth opened in surprise. "Trinia-" he started.

She waved him off. "Call me. If you ever, ever need anything. I've written my number and it's in the wallet." She cleared her throat and stood taller. "Good luck."

Her eyes seemed a little wet, and he swore her bottom lip quivered. A slow smile spread upon his lips and he moved forward to embrace the woman who had nursed him back from the brink of death. "Thank you, Trinia," he whispered. "I'll keep in touch. I promise."

She squeezed him back then pushed him away, dabbing her eyes. "Now go on. That train is leaving in an hour."

Something that felt like his old self slipped out, and with a grin he gave her hand a kiss. "Farewell, Trinia."

With that he walked out of the hospital and into the hustle and bustle of the rebuilding Capitol.

* * *

The train zoomed along and looking out of the window made him feel sick. He closed his eyes against the strain, feeling nauseous. He'd been on a train like this many times before, he knew. Fragmented memories filtered through, and he grasped onto them, trying to remember more. Bubbly drinks and people with strange hair clothes, similar to the fashion of Trinia. He didn't like these people. Most of them flirted with him, all smiles and suggestions, some even touched him on the arm, the chest. He would smile back, but inside he was disgusted.

That was it. He thought about it more, trying to glean further memories to no avail. Sighing he stretched himself out on the couch he was on. The train was odd, he decided. It looked more like a living room than public transportation. There were a few other passengers, a father and his two daughters, who looked normal, seeing as their hair looked natural and their clothes not outlandishly uncomfortable. There was also a woman with purple hair and a tight, voluminous dress, an elderly man reading a paper, and a young couple, again of the "normal" variety.

He tapped his fingers absentmindedly against his leg but stopped when he hit the metal tin. Taking it out he opened the top, sniffing the contents. It was pleasant smelling, though he couldn't pinpoint the essence. Delicately he dipped his finger into the cream, massaging it into his face. He grimaced, but Trinia would be proud. He'd glanced his reflection in the mirror and he wasn't as displeased as he thought he might be. There was extensive scarring on his face, but his skin was all the same color now, which was a vast improvement, and the new flesh had seamlessly integrated itself into his face, small lines the only hint that it wasn't his real skin. Still, he looked different. He wasn't sure what he looked like before, but this was much different.

His hair was cropped short, slightly above buzzed. He seemed to remember being more tan, and his skin now was pale and still sickly looking. His hand and leg replacements were obviously new, and while he didn't care so much what others thought, it was still hard for him to get used to.

He had decided to go to District 12. The idea of rebuilding, starting over appealed to him. If he had to begin anew, he'd prefer to do it with others.

* * *

It was another day before he stepped off the train in District 12. He nearly regretted it. The whole district was in shambles still, buildings mostly in ruins and roads that were far from paved. He shifted nervously, checking his pocket for his wallet. Unsure what to do, he followed the small crowd into the town center.

It was there that he wandered around for a while until he found someone what looked like they might be in charge. She seemed friendly, if a bit worn around the edges, with brown hair streaked with gray, and smiling eyes.

"Yes?" she answered when he called to her.

"Um..." And he wasn't sure what to say. "I'm new here. They said that District 12 was rebuilding..."

She smiled kindly at him. "Well, we're always looking for new hands to help rebuild. What's you name?"

It took him a moment, but finally he said, "Caspian."

"Very nice to meet you dear," she said. "Where are you from?"

"I...I don't know. I just got released from the hospital, and..." he trailed off.

The smile slipped for a moment as the woman looked over his him again. "Well, why don't we head over to the Justice Building and we'll get you set up, hmm?" He followed her to the building on the far side that he had walked by several times. It was still on some disrepair but it seemed to have been worked on more than the others.

She walked straight behind the front counter and motioned for him to follow. "Well, we don't have many houses," she mused to herself. "This one is in pretty decent shape, I suppose...better than some others, at least. You'll have to fix it up some," she said, turning to him. "Some others will be by later to help you." After signing some papers she turned to him and motioned him to follow.

He followed her down the road until they came upon a row of small houses, the closer of which were in better shape than the ones further down. "We're still fixing things up here," she explained. "We've go the Victor Village all filled up already-mostly families though we have the exception, of course." He shot her a quizzical look. "Oh, well," she said, suddenly a bit flustered, "Katniss is in her old house again. It's just her, but Sae goes up every day with her granddaughter to check on her. Poor dear hasn't been the same since..." She trailed off.

Katniss. The name tugged on his memories. He knew that name. He remembered brown hair and rope and knots...Was it her? The woman from his memories?

"Here we are," she said, stopping in front of a house in mild disrepair. It would need some work on the roof, and a new door. The windows ought to be replaced. "It's not much," she admitted, "but please feel free to ask anyone for help. All of us are starting anew, and we've always been a community. I'll let you get settled in."

"Thank you," he told her. She had already turned to leave when he called out, "Wait! I- I don't know your name."

She smiled at him. "I'm Hazelle Hawthorne. I live in the house with the flowers in the front, next street over. Come see me anytime."

"Thank you," he said again. He turned to his new house. Tentatively he walked inside. It looked like there had already been some work done, but there was much left to do. The kitchen was small, having an oven-stove combination, a refrigerator that wasn't working, and a small table with mismatched chairs. There was a small living room that had a love seat and a fireplace. The hallway led to the bathroom on the left and his bedroom on the right. It was a comfortable size, but it had no bed.

Walking back to the kitchen he noticed a broom and dustpan in the corner. The house was all dusty, and that was a good a place as any to start.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

* * *

The men had just left. They'd spent several hours fixing his roof and fitting new windows. The door that led into his house had been replaced, but his bedroom door still wouldn't shut right. However, he had been entranced by the rope that the men bought with them and insisted they needn't fix his door today.

He quickly found his wallet and headed out, intending to by a length of rope. There was currently only one general store in town. What the men had called The Hob no longer existed since it had been bombed-there was no need for it now that they weren't under the Peacekeeper's watch. He figured he ought to buy some new clothes as well; his only pair were getting pretty dirty now.

"Welcome," called a middle aged man from the counter. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Rope," he replied.

The shopkeeper nodded, heading over to help him. "You new in town?" the man asked him, leading them towards the back of the store.

"Yes. I just arrived," he responded.

"Well, name's Keand. From District 13 originally, but damn grateful to be out of there," he went on. "What's your name?"

"Caspian," he responded, more quickly this time. The name wasn't his own, but he was slowly warming to it.

"Fine name. Ah, here we are. We've got all sizes, you take your pick and let me know if you need anything else," Keand told him before heading back to help a customer that just arrived.

"Caspian," he mumbled to himself. "My name is Caspian." He reached out and touched a length of rope and felt a wave of calm hit him. Why did he like rope so much anyway? He grabbed the one he was holding, then on a rather strong whim, grabbed a few bundles of thinner rope. These things were familiar and he wanted them.

He went back to the counter where Keand was sitting, reading a book. "All ready?" he asked, reaching for the rope that Caspian held out to him. He wrote out a receipt and Caspian handed him some bills. "Thank you. Come back again soon," Keand told him on the way out.

Rope in his hands, Caspian felt much better. Happier. He headed to the tailor shop further down, startled when a bell rattled as he opened the door. "Just a moment!" came a yell from the back. Soon a young girl came to greet him. "What can I do you for?"

"Um..." Caspian hesitated. She seemed rather young to be the one in charge. "Well, new clothes. These are my only pair."

She scrutinized him for a moment. "Just some everyday clothes then? Nothing fancy?"

"Everyday clothes," he agreed. Just how old was she anyway? Ten? Twelve?

"Right then," she agreed, taking a tape measure from her apron. She grabbed a stool from nearby and stood on it as she took his measurements on top. Hopping down she proceeded with the other measurements, and he had to admit that she did seem confident in her work. "My mum was the seamstress," she told him. "But she died when they bombed the place. So I took over. Dad died when I was young."

"I'm sorry," he told her.

She shrugged. "You're new here, right. You didn't know." She straightened. "Anyway, I've got to make a living or else I'll end up in the orphanage. That's the last place I'll ever go, believe me."

"I have amnesia," he confessed.

She paused, glancing up at him. "That sucks."

He half smiled. "When can I come pick up my clothes?"

"Three days. I've got a few orders before you," she explained. "You can pay when you get them. What's your name?"

"Caspian."

She jotted some notes down on a notepad she fished from her aprons pocket. "Alright Caspian, I'll see you in three days."

Caspian went home after that. He wanted to figure out his fascination with rope. He nearly ran home in his excitement, but managed to maintain his cool until he got through his front door. He plopped himself on the couch, his fingers already working on the thicker rope. His fingers moved of their own accord, expertly tying the rope into a complicated looking knot. It was easy for him to see where to pull to make it fall loose. His new hand seemed to respond well, though he made many mistakes along the way.

After an hour of this he turned his attention to the thinner lengths of rope. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with them, but his former self seemed to know instinctively what to do. His hands moved deftly over the rope, twisting, turning, knotting, until he had created a finely crafted net. He had to redo some sections of it over because his hand seemed to disagree with what he wanted it to do, but he persevered. It was finished before he knew it, and he stood up, holding the end between his outstretched arms to inspect his handiwork.

He walked to his bedroom to where a hook in the wall jutted out. He looped one end of his net over it and looked for another one. Finding none in his room he walked about his house until he found another hook by the front door, where the old owners must have hung coats. He unscrewed the hook from the wall and brought it back to the bedroom, knocking on the wall until he found a stud. He carefully screwed it back into the wall, pulling on it to make sure it stuck. Once he was satisfied, he picked up the other end of his net and slung it over the hook.

A hammock. A bed.

* * *

Dinner he ate from a woman called Greasy Sae. He took it this was the same one that brought Katniss her food every day. He mostly kept to himself, though others insisted on engaging him in conversation. He learned a bit more about the town and some possible job opportunities. They were going to reopen the mines and prepare for the medicine factory. There was much excitement about the latter; apparently the mines weren't the safest place.

For now, though, he could help with the reconstruction of the place, being paid a small stipend in addition to his free house. It was as good a deal as he would get, he figured, and so Caspian agreed to work. When more opportunities arrived later, maybe then he would try his hand at something else.

Some of the others went back to their families, others went to the town square to socialize, but Caspian went home instead. Tomorrow, after work, he would explore the town more, the surrounding forest, and buy some more things for the house. But tonight he wanted to think, to try and remember his past life. Upon arriving home, he grabbed the metal tin that contained his scar cream and applied it to his face. He'd long gotten used to the tingle of it, and it was even pleasant now, lying in his hammock, feeling the sensation across his face.

He thought about the woman Hazelle had mentioned earlier. Katniss. He remembered her vaguely. He remembered the desperate, haunted look in her eyes. They had spent a lot of time together. Helped each other, healed each other. The more he thought about her, the more sure he became of her. Katniss must be the brown haired woman he had in his memory. He could remember hours spent together, sometimes talking, sometimes not. And he remembered hand holding, and a gentle kiss to the cheek she had given him. Her wiping tears from his eyes, and tugging at knots he had made.

Sighing he turned to his side, curling up to himself. He wanted to meet her, to talk to her and figure this all out. He touched his face, still a mess after all this time. Would she even recognize him? It was a lot to think about, and he was tired. Finally feeling at home on his hammock, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Work was a bit laborious. Caspian somehow remembered being stronger, more lithe than this. Of course, he'd had little exercise for months now, and his bionic hand and leg made things harder for him. The others took note and were patient with him when he dropped nails or had a hard time holding things steady. They didn't bother asking him what happened, they all just assumed he had been hurt in the war. It was odd, he thought, that no one around seemed to care about where the others had come from. People were always helped, never questioned. The sense of community was overwhelming.

Toward the end of the day, he saw Hazelle struggling to carry some groceries home, and he hastened to meet her.

"Hello Hazelle," he greeted. "Let me help you."

She handed him the groceries. "Thank you," she sighed in relief. "My eldest used to be the one to help, but now he's off doing who knows what. Did you just finish work?"

"Yes. I was with the group rebuilding the school. We're hoping to get it finished by the end of next month."

"That'll be good. Get these kids out of my hair for a little while. Are you settling in okay?" she asked him, leading her towards his house. They made some small talk as they walked, until Caspian told her of his observations. "Well, most of us know each other," she told him. "And we're all looking to start over. It's important to remember, but there's no use in reopening fresh wounds." He nodded in agreement. "So, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Well I don't want to impose." He shifted nervously.

"Nonsense," she said, ushering him in. "It will be nice to have someone over. And it will also be nice to have someone help me chop these things."

He helped her to the kitchen where she put away the groceries she didn't need and rinsed off the vegetables for dinner. He chopped some carrots while she did potatoes. "Are you from the Capitol?" she asked him suddenly.

He laughed lightly. "What happened to not opening wounds?"

She smiled, shrugging. "Doesn't mean we aren't curious. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No it's okay. Honestly, I don't remember. My nurse, Trinia, said I have amnesia. So I don't know how I got all these wounds or lost my appendages." He frowned. "I have no clue who I am. Caspian isn't even my real name, I don't think. It doesn't seem like it is anyway. We just had to pick a name because up until then I was 'Patient 2756'."

"So why did you come here?" she inquired.

"Well, Trinia told me that District 12 was completely rebuilding since it had been bombed. I figured it was as good a place as any to start my life again, seeing as I would be starting from scratch too."

"Well, we're glad to have you. Not many people want to come back here when they have the option of moving to the other, wealthier Districts." She put her potato in a skillet with butter and asked him to add his carrot after several minutes. "Do you mind watching the food?" Hazelle went around the room, grabbing dried herbs and seasoning the vegetables. Then she went to the oven and took out a chicken that had been roasting in there.

Caspian helped her put it on a serving plate then arrange the carrot and potato around it. "I'll go get the kids. Do you mind setting a fork and knife out for five?" He did this task and finished just as she returned, three children in tow. "This is Caspian," she introduced. "He just moved to town."

The eldest, a boy of maybe 15, held his hand out. "Rory." He was tall, with dark hair and gray eyes. In fact all the children had the same sort of look. Dark hair, gray eyes, olive skin.

Next was a younger boy, perhaps just hitting his teens. "Vick," he greeted, shaking Caspian's hand. The last was a young girl, and she was shy. She cautiously held her hand out to him, and he took it gently in his own. "Posy," she told him.

"Nice to meet you all," he told them.

"Let's sit," Hazelle said, ushering them to the table.

With the window open, a nice breeze kept the room cool. The conversation was light and happy. Summer called loudly to him, and Caspian felt the urge to swim. It was so strong that he had to clench his good hand to beat it down. He smiled. It felt like a little bit of him was coming back at last.

* * *

"Thank you so much for dinner," Caspian said, stepping outside.

"You're welcome," Hazelle responded. "I'm glad you're settling in."

Caspian headed towards his house but continued further down the lane until he reached the edge of the forest. He still had several hours left of daylight so cautiously he entered. He walked in no particular direction, every know and then making a marking he could recognize if he got lost on the way home. He startled several deer but otherwise was alone. After some time he came upon a lake. He stood staring at it for a long time, but slowly he undressed and dipped a toe in the water. It was cold but refreshing. He dove in immediately, and muscle memory kicked in, letting him glide through the water and perform graceful twists and turns.

He swam until it was near dark. Caspian had never felt so exhilarated. In the water his bionic limbs offered little to no resistance as he moved with them and for the first time he felt totally in control of them. Resting on a rock to dry off, he quickly began to cool off, shivering a little as the night cooled with him.

When he was as dry as he was going to get, Caspian redressed and began following his trail home by the moonlight. There were more creatures out now, and he hastened his pace, feeling unprepared for any surprises. At last he made his way out of the forest and onto the lane leading to his house. Tomorrow he would go back and swim again.

* * *

The weather was turning warmer every day. It was his second month in District 12 when there was a bit of a stir during work.

"Said she saw her walking around today."

"Out of the house? Hasn't happened in ages."

"Looked like she was going hunting. That's what Lee said anyway."

"What are they talking about?" Caspian asked the man next to him.

"Katniss," the man replied. "She hasn't been out of the house since she first got here. Some people saw her early this morning with her bow, heading towards the forest. Reckon she'll go hunting again. Used to shoot the best game around here."

"Hmm," Caspian replied, though his heart skipped slightly. He wanted to meet her. Seeing her might be the key to unlocking his memories.

After work, Caspian stopped by the seamstress. "Haven't got another hole, have you?" Mavis called from where she was sewing in the back.

Caspian smiled. "How'd you know it was me?"

"The way you walk. And also I don't have any customers supposed to come in for another day or two."

"Actually, I was hoping you could make me some swimming trunks?"

Mavis stopped her work and headed to where he was waiting. "Swimming trunks? Not sure what you mean."

Caspian explained to her to the best of his ability. "Mostly just a fabric that will dry quickly," he added. "That's really the most important thing."

Mavis tapped her fingers on the counter top. "Well," she said slowly, "I think I have some fabric that will work. Got it from some Capitol person a while back. You come back here in a couple days, I'll have it ready."

"Thanks." Caspian grinned. "You're the best, Mavis."

She flushed lightly. "Yeah, yeah. Now get out of here, you're scaring away the customers."

Caspian obliged. As per usual, he stopped at his house for a quick snack before heading towards the forest. After an unfortunate incident some days back where he was ambushed by some wild dogs, Caspian had carved himself a spear. It didn't feel quite right, and he had trouble using his bionic right hand with it, but it would do in some desperate time. So, spear in his left hand, Caspian plunged into the woods, heading down the trail that he now knew well, towards his lake sanctuary.

As he spent more time there he remembered some memories of the ocean. Breeze blowing his hair, salty water in his mouth. Sea gulls crying above him as he relaxed on the sand. He was born to be in the water, that much he knew.

Caspian had taken to jumping off the rocks, practicing his dives into the lake. He spent hours here, usually until the sun went down, alternately lazing about or trying some new and complicated trick. Once he had even managed to snag a fish when he dived down further than he normally did. It was a good dinner.

Caspian got out earlier than he normally did today. It had been a long day of carrying heavy pieces of wood, and he was tired. He lie on the rock, letting the last rays of the sun warm him. Behind him a branch snapped. Alarmed, Caspian bolted upright and grabbed his spear, ready to fight off some more dogs.

An arrow whizzed by his head and thudded into the tree behind him. He turned his gaze to where it had come from and saw her.

Her brown hair was in a braid, her complexion pale and unhealthy. She seemed too skinny, and there were dark circles under her eyes. She held her bow straight, another arrow notched, and stared him down. And even though he couldn't remember her, he would know her anywhere.

"Katniss."

Katniss relaxed her stance a little, but still didn't drop her aim. "How did you find this place?"

He shrugged. "I just...did." An unfamiliar feeling was spreading throughout him. He couldn't quite identify what it was. "Katniss." He liked saying her name.

Slowly she lowered her bow. "You're naked."

He glanced down to realize that he was indeed. Grinning he replied, "You're closer to my clothes than I am."

For a moment it looked like she blushed, but then she turned around, retrieving his clothes. "Who are you?" He moved to grab them, but she yelled in alarm, "No just stay there!" She looked away while he reached out for them.

"I uh...Caspian. My name is Caspian."

Katniss glanced at him. "Don't I know you...?" she trailed off.

He shrugged. Before he could respond there was some noise coming from the edge of the clearing. A moment later some dogs emerged from the clearing. It was then that he noticed that Katniss was carrying several dead squirrels. Alarmed she jumped up on the rock beside him. The dogs ran over, sniffing and circling, but they didn't jump up on the rock. After a while they left, and Katniss breathed a sigh of relief.

She hadn't known she was pressed up against him, but Caspian wondered at the familiarity of it. "Katniss-"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, jumping away from him. "Sorry I-"

But she broke off. She was staring at him now. Slowly she reached a hand up to his face. She shushed his half hearted attempts to speak. His heart was pounding with her being so close. He _knew _her. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew.

She brought words to his thoughts. "I know you," she said softly. She reached down and grabbed his bionic hand, then gently touched his new leg. She reached up and touched his short hair, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder. Katniss gazed into his eyes for a long time and finally her breath hitched and tears filled her eyes.

"_Finnick."_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

* * *

It stirred within him. Finnick. That was his name. Finnick Odair. Clumsily he tried it out. "Finnick. My name is Finnick." After having been Caspian for the past few months the name felt both strange and intensely right. She was crying. "Hey," he soothed, "Don't cry."

She threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "I thought you were dead. You were dead." It took a while before she was able to calm down. She stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What...?"

He explained what he knew. About waking up, being in the hospital, his new life here. "Trinia says I have amnesia. My memories haven't been coming back that well. But I remembered you." He didn't feel inclined to tell her about the image of the brown haired woman. "You look terrible."

Katniss laughed a little, tears still on her cheek. "I feel terrible," she said quietly. "Amnesia," she mused. She touched his real hand, holding it tight. "Come over to my house? It's lonely there."

Finnick nodded. "I have some rope," he told her. She half smiled.

"I haven't been practicing my knots," she admitted.

"Me neither," he agreed. Together they walked back through the forest to his house.

"So you really don't remember anything? The war? District 13? The Games?" At each shake of his head she grew more troubled. "What _do_ you remember then?"

"I remember the ocean. Swimming, catching fish, tying nets. I remember some of my childhood, and I remember bits and pieces of what might have happened before this." Finnick shook his head. "I don't know who I am."

Katniss furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure you want to remember it all," she muttered.

Finnick nodded pensively. "I'd like to know some things," he admitted. "I must look very different?" He was still self conscious about his look, his extensive scarring.

Katniss nodded. "You look...less handsome," she told him with a shrug. He didn't know whether or not to be offended. "If I had only known you for your looks then I wouldn't recognize you. But I know you better than that."

Slightly mollified, and turning onto his lane, Finnick said, "Well, I can't say I remember you all too well, but I seem to remember someone that looked better than this." Katniss shrugged her shoulders again. She seemed to be retreating into herself.

"This is my house." Finnick let Katniss inside, leaving her in the living room as he went to the bedroom to grab some rope. He paused long enough to rub the cream on his face. Returning to the other room, he tossed Katniss a small length of rope. She clumsily started to tie a knot and Finnick couldn't help the small smile that snuck onto his face.

"Do you want to eat dinner with me?" Katniss asked him.

He nodded and she led the way towards her house. Along the way Katniss let Finnick ask her questions and she responded to the best of her ability. He learned about the Hunger Games, and that he had been a Victor. He learned about the Quarter Quell, and his part in the war. She became terse towards the end, though, refusing to talk much about the war itself, what happened afterwards, and about District 13.

It wasn't until they were seated at her kitchen counter, Katniss heating up some left over food, that he asked her how they met.

"You were naked and you offered me a sugar cube."

"What?" he exclaimed, dropping his bread.

Katniss laughed loudly then. "Okay, you weren't naked, but you may as well have been. It was during the Opening Ceremony for the Quarter Quell. Your stylist had you dressed in a net. Just a net, with one knot right over your...Well, anyway. You came over and offered me a sugar cube. I was about ready to punch you." At his bewildered look Katniss continued, "You were a bit of a playboy to the Capitol. Not of your own choice," she hastened to explain, "It just sort of happened that way. You were just so handsome they went crazy for you."

They ate in silence for a while as Finnick tried to adjust to his new identity. "You said there are some things I don't want to remember?"

"If you could forget all the bad things, wouldn't you prefer it that way?" she asked him quietly.

He took a moment to think. "I don't think so," he said slowly. "Everything that I've experienced has shaped me. The bad memories are as important as the good ones."

"I wish I could forget," Katniss whispered.

"Earlier, you said you thought I was dead. What happened?"

Katniss sighed heavily. As much as she didn't want to explain things, Finnick deserved an explanation. So she told him about the assault on the Capitol and how in the tunnel the mutts overcame him. As she talked, Finnick remembered bits and pieces. He remembered the vicious look of the mutts as they came at him with gaping maws. Feeling sick he closed his eyes and breathed heavily.

"I don't want to talk anymore," Katniss said.

Finnick nodded his assent and let her lead him to the couch. She gave him a piece of rope to fiddle with while she opened a window. The night was hot and Finnick was grateful for the cooling breeze of the evening. They didn't talk any more that night, but curled next to each other on the couch, alternately challenging each other with knots they had made or trying to solve them.

Morning found the two of them tangled together, rope still clutched in hand.

It was the banging of the door that awakened them. Finnick's eyes shot open and he and Katniss disentangled themselves. Greasy Sae entered, granddaughter in tow. "What time is it?" Finnick asked quickly.

Katniss twisted around to better look at the clock on the wall. "Half past six"

Finnick jumped up, nearly tripping. His bionic leg wasn't as stable as his natural one, and he hadn't yet gotten used to doing such sharp movements. "I have to go," he said quickly. "Work," he explained at the hurt look Katniss gave him. She nodded and got up to walk him to the door. At the door he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it. "Thank you Katniss. I'll be back later." It wasn't a request, but Katniss didn't mind.

Finnick ran home, quickly brushed his teeth, slathered some cream on his face, and headed out the door. He arrived just on time, though he regretted not getting anything to eat. However, it was imperative that they start early in the day so as to avoid as much heat as possible. They usually took a two hour break around noon when the sun was blazing down on them.

They were laying the floor for the school house today. Right around break time, Hazelle stopped by to check on the progress. "It looks great," she commended them.

"We're ahead of schedule," the foreman answered. "Should be done by the new year at this rate."

"So quick?" she asked.

"Got more volunteers than we counted on."

Finnick finished his section and headed over, wiping the sweat from his face. "Hi Hazelle."

"Hello Caspian," she greeted.

"Finnick," he corrected, ushering her further away from his coworkers for some privacy.

Her mouth dropped slightly. "Finnick?" she asked.

He nodded. "I remember my name," he told her.

"As in Finnick, Victor of the sixty fifth Hunger Games, Finnick? Finnick Odair?"

He laughed inwardly, wanting to close her mouth. He nodded instead. "The very one. I saw Katniss yesterday," he told her as way of explanation.

Hazelle's cheeks reddened. "I can't believe..._Finnick?"_ She was scrutinizing his face, and self consciously he touched it.

"Extensive scarring, Trinia told me. I've been using a cream to help with it," he said quickly.

Hazelle regarded him quietly. "The scare _are_ fainter now than when you first arrived," she remarked. "Finnick. Yes, I see it now. I'm so ashamed I didn't see it before..."

Finnick shrugged. "I didn't know who I was myself," he told her. "Can't expect others to know if I don't."

"Katniss did."

Finnick smiled. "She's already seen me at my worst...this isn't that far off from it."

"Have you told the others?" she wondered.

"No," he said quickly. "I've already set Caspian up here pretty well. And I don't want people to change their behavior to me if they know who I am. Katniss sort of filled me in on that part too. 'Capitol Playboy.' " Finnick frowned. "She wouldn't say much more though. She's not inclined to talk much."

Hazelle raised a brow. "She actually spoke to you?" He nodded. Hazelle shook her head. "Five months she's been here and she hasn't even said a word to Sae. Didn't even recognize me when I went to visit her."

"What happened to her?"

Sighing Hazelle motioned him to follow her. "Let's have lunch together and I'll tell you." He followed her back to the Hawthorne residence where she made some sandwiches. "Bread," she smiled. "We can finally afford it."

"I'm not sure how much you remember about the war, or Katniss for that matter," Hazelle continued. "Katniss volunteered for her Games in place of her younger sister Prim. She and Peeta, another boy from our District, ended up winning them, but it sparked rebellion. I guess that's not quite fair. Rebellion had been brewing, and Katniss gave them the courage and hope to do it. The next year was the Quarter Quell. Previous Victors from every District had to compete. I'm guessing that is where you and Katniss met.

"Sometime during the rescue mission for the remaining Victors on our side from the Arena, the Capitol bombed District 12. My son, Gale, did his best to help her most of us to safety, but much of our town and its people were destroyed. Not everyone made it to District 13, but Prim and Mrs. Everdeen did." Hazelle paused for a while, thinking. "Eventually a team was dispatched to infiltrate the Capitol. You were among that team, along with Katniss, Peeta, Gale and some others.

"There was a lot of confusion there are the end. President Snow had gathered children around his building, offering 'refuge', but really using them as a shield. A team of our doctors landed, rushing to aid the children, but bombs were dropped. No one knows for sure, but they said that Katniss witnessed Prim being blown up. It's all very hard to remember what exactly happened, but it was over for Snow then. He was taken to prison, and Coin seized power to become the new leader.

"There were days of uncovering bodies and the hospitals were full. It didn't matter then what side you were on. People were destroyed. There were broadcasts of the dead on all the televisions. It was easiest for the families to find out that way. You were among those declared dead." Hazelle sighed heavily.

"After some weeks, Katniss was called forth to execute Snow in public. She ended up shooting Coin with her arrow instead, killing her. In the resulting chaos, Snow also died. But then Katniss was locked away and put on trial. They said she tried to kill herself multiple times. Finally she was released back to District 12, though she's never allowed to leave here again. Losing Prim destroyed her."

Hazelle was silent then, drinking some of her water. "Mrs. Everdeen and I both lost our husbands in a mining accident. Just as Gale became the provider for our family, so too did Katniss become her family's provider. They used to be such good friends. Anyway, everyone knew that Prim was the only one in the world that Katniss really cared about. She did everything for her, to protect her..."

Hazelle wiped some tears from her eyes. Finnick reached out to take her hand. "Thank you for telling me," he said quietly.

Hazelle swallowed the lump in her throat and let out a big exhale. "Alright, enough heavy stuff for now. Let's eat before you have to return to work. I still can't believe I'm having lunch with Finnick Odair," she said to herself, laughing.

* * *

Finnick was exhausted by the end of the work day. He stopped by the General Store and was greeted by Keand. Keand had slowly been selling more groceries, and Finnick bought a little snack. He ate it as he walked to Katniss's house. He knocked on the door twice before she answered. Her hair was dripping wet and she looked, well...clean. She tugged self consciously at her short, damp locks, and he got the impression that she hadn't put so much effort into her appearance the whole time she'd been here.

"Hi," she greeted, letting him inside.

"Do you want to go swimming?" he asked her.

"Not unless you have something to swim in."

Finnick struck what he thought was a sexy pose. "You mean, you don't want to see _this_ again?" he asked, gesturing to his body.

Katniss merely laughed. "You flatter yourself too much Odair. Besides, I've already seen _that_ plenty of times. You might not remember our hospital gowns, but I do."

Finnick stuck his tongue out at her. "Come on," he wheedled. "It's part of my daily schedule. I'll wear what I have on."

Katniss gave in. "Alright, already. Just a minute." She went to her bedroom and returned several minutes later dressed in shorts and a tank top and holding some towels. "Okay, let's go."

They spent the walk to the lake with questions and answers.

"So I was incredibly handsome?"

"Yeah. Well, everyone else used to think so. I thought you were ridiculous. You and the other Victors used to make fun of my modesty."

"What District am I from?"

"District Four. It's the fishing district mainly. That's why you're so good at swimming and tying those damn knots." Of course he would be from District Four. How else would he feel so natural in the water. "In the Quarter Quell, the arena featured a large ocean. You were so graceful every time we went in the water, it was spectacular."

"How old am I?"

Katniss paused. "I'm not sure. You won the sixthy-fifth Games when you were fourteen. We were in the seventy-fifth Games together...Twenty five or twenty six, I'd say."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen. I'll be nineteen in May."

"We were friends?" Finnick had yet to determine his relationship with Katniss. From her attitude towards him he thought they were just friends. But then why did he remember her so clearly? Did he love her?

Katniss paused. "You were the best friend I ever had. I suppose apart from Gale. There was so much lying and deception going on, sometimes it's hard for even me to keep straight. But you were the first person I could really be myself with. I didn't have to put up any shields; it was just me and you. I think I got to know the real Finnick, not the Capitol made one."

"I wish I could remember our time together better."

Katniss didn't respond, and they spent the rest of the walk in contemplative silence. They reached the lake none too soon, and Finnick immediately stripped off his shirt and dove in. Katniss took time to lay out the towels on some rocks before she tiptoed into the water.

"That's the worst method," Finnick teased.

"There's no point in rushing. It feels nice like this," Katniss disagreed.

Finnick paddled near her, watching with exasperation as she slowly made her way in. When she wasn't looking he dove under the water and swam to her, pulling her legs and dragging her into the cold water. Her scream was muffled by the water, and she came up spluttering.

"Finnick!" she cried in dismay, thumping his chest with her hands. "You're such a jerk!"

Finnick laughed, merely pulling her by the hands deeper into the water. "I promise not to let you drown," he teased. Katniss shot him a dirty look and pulled free from his grasp, but nevertheless followed him to the deeper water. "I've been practicing tricks, watch me," he exclaimed with childish glee. He went on to perform some twists and flips underwater and Katniss smiled, her irritation melting away.

When he surfaced she commended him. "You look like a merman," she chuckled. "I just hope you don't lead me to my doom."

Finnick stuck his tongue out at her. "I've been wanting to try some things with a swimming partner," he confessed. "I remember I used to practice swimming with some of the village children when I was young. I remember we used to toss each other in the air."

"I don't know..." Katniss hesitated.

"It'll be fun," he wheedled. When she still refused, Finnick swam close, pressing himself against her. "Please Katniss," he whispered in her ear.

She flushed hotly and pushed away from him. "Are you sure you don't remember the old Finnick Odair?" she accused. "Because you sure act like him sometimes."

Finnick just laughed and gave her puppy dog eyes until she agreed. "Okay, so first I'm just going to practice lifting you out of the water straight. You practice on balancing so you don't fall back in. Ready?"

Finnick dove under the water, then grabbed Katniss by the legs and hoisted her up. Once her torso was out of the water, however, she fell sideways and splashed back in. Finnick laughed. He hadn't had so much fun forever. "Let's try again."

It took at least twenty minutes until Katniss was able to balance perfectly, and then they worked on Finnick throwing her. After the tenth belly flop Katniss demanded they stop. "I'm tired," she admitted. "I haven't had this much exercise for a while."

They swam over to the rocks and Finnick helped her climb out before joining her on top. They stretched out on their towels and let the sun warm them. "I'm sorry about Prim," Finnick said softly.

Katniss went rigid and turned away from him. "Who told you?" she asked quietly, her voice wavering.

"Hazelle."

"Hazelle?" Katniss asked. "Hawthorne?"

Finnick nodded but then remembered she couldn't see him. "Yes. She was actually the first person I talked to here. She's very nice." Katniss stayed quiet, so he went on, "She said you don't go out much."

"No," Katniss agreed.

"You don't talk to anyone?"

"No," she said again.

Finnick decided not to push his luck right now. "I'm glad you talk to me," he told her. "I'm glad I found you."

She finally turned back around to him. "Me too," she agreed. "I'm glad I found you." She tentatively touched his hand and he grabbed hers back. It helped alleviate the loneliness just a little.

As the sun was beginning to set Katniss decided they should head home. "Greasy Sae cooks dinner for me," she explained. "I told her this morning that I'd have company."

Finnick nodded, slinging the towels over his shoulder. "Shouldn't keep her waiting then."

They walked back to the house, Katniss pointing out different fauna along the way. "I want to hunt again," she finally said. "For a long time I didn't want to do anything. Yesterday was the first time I was out of the house since I got here."

"I want to fish," Finnick responded. "Now that I know, it seems only natural. We could sell our game," he joked. "There is a sore lack of sea food in this area."

Katniss gave him a half smile. "The lake isn't the easiest place to catch fish," she told him.

He shrugged. "I've already caught a fish there, I'm sure I could catch more."

He made them detour to his house on the way so he could apply some cream to his face. When Katniss asked him about it he explained it was for the scarring. Not wanting to assume, but also wanting the option of brushing his teeth, he grabbed his toothbrush to bring along with him.

Greasy Sae was waiting for them in the kitchen when they returned. They immediately took some plates from the cupboard and served four plates - Sae's granddaughter was already sitting at the table. Dinner was a fairly calm affair, with Sae's granddaughter asking questions of Finnick, and generally yammering about things the others didn't understand. Sae quickly cleaned up and put the left overs away and bid good night to Katniss and Finnick, holding her granddaughter's hand on the way out.

Katniss and Finnick sat again on the couch with the window thrown open. They talked of their time in the Quarter Quell and District 13 to some extent, but Finnick found himself almost afraid to ask more of Katniss than he did. Whether it was his own fear of discovering things, or her fragile state, he wasn't sure. But morning again found the pair curled together on the couch, limbs entangled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

They settled into a routine. Finnick would dash off to work in the morning, they would meet afterwards for a swim at the lake, and then they would eat dinner and fall asleep on the couch, only to do it again the next day. It was the second week into this when things changed somewhat.

Katniss had been distant and anxious all day at the lake, and finally Finnick asked her what was the matter. It took some goading, but as they lay on the rock, the sun tanning their skin, Katniss eventually told him what was on her mind.

"You stay over every night," she said. He nodded his assent. "We spend all our free time together. I don't have nightmares so bad anymore." She paused again and only finished after some gentle goading on his part. "Doyouwanttomovein?" she asked quickly, face a nice pink color.

"What?" It took Finnick a moment to understand what she asked, but luckily she didn't seem inclined to repeat herself. He broke out in a small smile. "I think that sounds perfect. But Katniss," he sighed, scooting closer to her and laying his head on her shoulder, "How can I be sure that you won't take advantage of me?"

Katniss gaped at him for a moment before shoving him off. "You're such a..." She shook her head then looked at him seriously. "Are you really okay with this?"

Finnick sat up and waited until she looked at him until he responded. "You're the only thing I have left. I don't know anyone, I don't even know me. My house isn't very well put together, and you've got too much your own to manage. But more importantly, I just want to spend every moment I can with you. You make me feel at home."

Katniss smiled at him and ducked her head. "Okay," was all she said.

That evening he moved his paltry belongings into her house. Katniss gave him her mother's old bedroom. There wasn't much in there, and what little she had in the closet was moved to one of the hallway closets. The last bedroom was untouched, and Finnick assumed it was Prim's old room.

"So does this mean we sleep in separate rooms now, or will be sharing a bed from now on?" he teased later as they sat down on the porch after dinner. A storm was brewing, threatening rain any moment, and Katniss had insisted they go outside to enjoy it.

Katniss rolled her eyes at him. "We'll see." They sat quietly as the first rain drops began to hit the earth. "You know, your face cream is working."

"Oh?"

"Your scars aren't so pronounced anymore. You look almost like the old Finnick, but with shorter hair. And more scars. And you're still pale compared to the old you."

"I haven't looked at myself since I first woke up," he admitted.

Katniss turned to him in surprise. "Why not?"

Finnick shrugged nonchalantly. "Would you like to see this every time you looked in the mirror?"

"No," she replied. "But I like seeing it across from me at the table, or next to me in the water. Your scarring isn't as bad as you think." She held her hand out, catching rain drops.

"Katniss," Finnick started. "I've been thinking a lot lately, trying to remember things. Aren't you in love with someone?" he finally asked.

Katniss didn't turn to look at him. Instead she stood up and walked out into the rain. "I don't know," she finally said. "Like I said, there were lots of lies and deceit. I did and said what I had to to make it alive out of my Games. Peeta and I had a star-crossed lovers thing going on, but mainly it was a tool to get sponsors. I know he means the world to me, but I don't know if I really know how to love anyone." She shook her head and turned away from him. "Prim was the only one I ever really loved. I loved my father, and I suppose for a while I loved my mother, but after his death it was only Prim. She's been the only thing in my life worth living for. And now she's gone."

Finnick stepped out into the rain towards her. Walking slowly so as not to startle her, he sidled up beside her. Gently he pulled her hands away from her body and tugged her into him. She was crying silently, her shaking shoulders the only indication that the wetness on her face wasn't that of the rain. She fought against him for a moment but soon she melted into him, burying her face in his chest.

"I couldn't save her," she sobbed. "I tried so hard, and I still couldn't do it in the end. She was right there, she was so close to me it would only be a short walk to where she was. She called my name when they dropped the bombs. And then she was gone, swallowed by the fire." Katniss was getting harder to understand, her sobs causing her voice to cut off every few words. "Why am I here and she's not?"

Finnick said nothing, just let her cry. At last she exhausted herself and began to shiver. Their damp, cold clothes clung to them and Finnick led Katniss inside. Though he was reluctant to let ho, he led them both upstairs to their bedrooms telling her to change. When she didn't leave her room after some minutes, Finnick, dressed now in some pajamas Mavis had made him, knocked on her door. She made some noise, either affirmation to come in or denial of his request, and he pushed the door open, stepping inside. She was curled up on her bed facing him.

Finnick walked over slowly and dropped down next to her. He reached out and smoothed some hair back from her face. She closed her eyes and seemed to relax, and when her breathing evened out, Finnick stood to leave. But she grabbed his hand and opened her eyes to beseech him. He understood without words. Slowly he crawled in next to her and she closed her eyes again.

"Thank you," she breathed, interlacing her fingers with his between them.

From that night on it was decided implicitly that this is how their sleeping arrangements would be.

The day after he moved into Katniss's house, Finnick visited Hazelle to tell her. She looked shocked but pursed her lips against anything she wanted to say and nodded her head. "Is Katniss well?" she asked instead.

"Yes. As well as she could be," he replied. "You should visit. I know she seems reclusive but I think she's really lonely. And between you and me, I don't think Greasy Sae's granddaughter is the best company all the time."

Hazelle nodded and reluctantly agreed to stop by later in the week. Finnick decided he ought to stop by and visit his two favorite stores, so as usual he headed to Keand's General Store first. Finnick had decided to build his own fishing pole. He didn't remember how, but decided it would be easy enough to figure out how to make one if he really did come from District Four.

After some perfunctory conversation with Keand, Finnick browsed the store to find the things he thought might be useful. Some wire, and fishing line obviously, and a small tool he could use to drill holes. It would do for now, and if he needed something else he would just have to return.

Next he stopped by Mavis's shop and happened to see Vick in there, chatting to her. They both looked a bit like deer in the headlights when he entered, and although Vick said a quick hello to Finnick, he quickly took his leave. A sly smile crept its way onto his face when he said hello.

"What is it you need?" Mavis asked, a bit cross.

"Now, now, don't be so mean," Finnick teased. "Did I interrupt your date?"

Pink splotches appeared on her cheeks. "It wasn't a date!"

"But you're not denying the other implications," Finnick said, his smile all full of mirth. Mavis merely turned her nose up at him and asked again what he wanted. "Just wanted to stop by and see my favorite little seamstress, and tell you that I've been enjoying my clothes so much. I'd be naked without you." It slightly mollified her and she opened up to him a bit.

"Vick came in to get some new pants. He's outgrown his, and now he's taller than his brother, so he needed new ones. We were just discussing fabrics when you came in."

"Well as long as he keeps his fabrics to himself, I'll let him keep visiting," Finnick told her. She merely rolled her eyes at him. Finnick had taken to treating her like a little sister, and while she was embarrassed by it, she actually really loved the feeling. "Mavis, do you live alone?"

Surprised she turned to him, setting down the dress she was mending. "Well yes. I don't have any other family, so I sleep in the back of the shop. Luckily the orphanage isn't quite up and running yet, or else I'm sure they would have put me there."

Finnick hummed, his brow furrowing. "Well, you tell that Vick he'd better be a gentleman or else. Anyway, I've got some things to do, I'll see you later." Finnick walked quickly to Victor Village with his purchases. Katniss was sitting on the porch waiting for him. She tilter her head, noticing what he was carrying.

"I'm going to try and build a fishing pole. Come on, I need to find a decent branch." Finnick waited impatiently as Katniss retrieved her boots and began to lace them up. "Oh move over," he finally said. He quickly laced her boots and knotted the strings. "Let's go!" He grabbed Katniss's hand and pulled her along down the road and into the forest.

They searched for a while and Katniss helped Finnick collect a few different branches that might be used as a pole. He insisted they head to the lake so they could relax while he worked on his project. Katniss agreed but soon went off and started to make some snares. Finnick used his little tool to drill a hole at the thin end of one of the branches then looped some fishing line through it, cutting it after some length with the knife he had taken to carrying. He fashioned some crude hooks out of the wire, his hands seeming to know what they were doing even if Finnick himself didn't.

Once it was all assembled he propped it up against the rock and dug around in the dirt, searching for a worm. "Well this is something I never thought I'd see," Katniss said behind him. "Finnick Odair playing in the dirt."

He childishly stuck his tongue out at her. "I'm looking for some bait." He gestured in the general direction of his fishing rod.

"You mean like this?" she asked, holding up a handful of worms.

Finnick grinned at her. "You're a woman after my heart, you know that right," he joked.

Finnick impaled the worm on the hook, his face scrunching up just a bit. "Always hate doing that," he admitted. Then he cast his line in the water and the two reclined against the rock while they waited, Katniss removing her boots and dipping her feet in the water.

"Do I have any family?"

Katniss jumped, startled by his sudden question. "Um, what do you mean? Like parents?"

Finnick shrugged. "Sure."

"I don't think you have parents," she said quickly. "Or siblings. Though I guess I don't know for sure, but you never mentioned them if you do." Finnick opened his mouth to ask something but Katniss cut him off. "But you know, in the Quarter Quell, the other Tribute from District Four, Mags, was your friend. You two were really close. You told me that she was your mentor during your first games, and that she was the closest thing to family that you had."

"What happened to her?"

"She died in the Arena. We were camping in the forest when all of a sudden a thick, poisonous fog over took us. It burned and paralyzed, and we were running out of there as fast as we could, but all of us had already been affected by it. Mags gave up her life so that we could make it out alive." Katniss laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's funny," she said, "thinking back on it all. I hated you when we first met. You were so cocky and just a pain really. But Haymitch told me I needed to ally myself with the others, and I wanted Mags. But you two were a package deal, so I got stuck with you too."

"You said that I was thought of as a playboy," Finnick prompted.

Katniss sighed. "Are you sure you want to talk about this?" Finnick nodded his assent and Katniss sighed again, closing her eyes and leaning turning her face towards the sun. "When we were in District Thirteen you and I filmed some, I don't know, announcements I guess, that we aired in the Capitol. You told how Snow had forced you into prostitution after you won your Games. So many of us misjudged you, not knowing the truth. I misjudged you."

Finnick felt dirty. He took a deep breath and looked away, ashamed to face Katniss. Noting his sudden change, Katniss opened her eyes to look at him. "Finnick," she started. "That wasn't your fault. Snow found a way to get to every one. He forced me into a fake engagement with Peeta and he killed Haymitch's family, just to show that he still had ultimate control." She touched his shoulder but Finnick shrugged her off.

"It's just hard to accept," he said. He shouldn't be upset with Katniss for telling him, but it was a classic kill the messenger scenario. Finnick shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not mad at you," he partially lied. "It just didn't occur to me that..." Finnick trailed off, unable to continue.

Katniss slowly walked her fingers towards Finnick's and tentatively touched his hand. After a few tense moments his shoulders relaxed and Finnick turned toward her slightly, interlacing their fingers. "Thanks," he mumbled, eyes a bit watery.

Finnick's fishing pole gave a huge jerk and he reached out to grab it. He gave it little tugs until he was sure the fish was hooked. His hand went to the middle of the pole before he realized that it didn't have a reel. "Here we go!" he said excitedly, all recent traces of distress gone. Finnick backed up, slowly dragging the fish out of the water, and his branch creaked with the strain. He'd almost gotten it out of the water when his branch snapped in half from the strain.

"Grab it!" he cried. Katniss dove for the fish, but it slipped out of her hands. "Get it, get it!" Finnick chanted, finally throwing his rod aside and and diving for the fish too. They bumped heads when they both reached for the fish and fell backwards rubbing their foreheads.

"Did you get it?" Katniss asked.

"No," Finnick whined. He opened his eyes to see her grinning at him and dangling the fish by its tail.

"I did."

Finnick smiled so wide his mouth hurt. He launched himself forward, squishing Katniss to himself in joy. "You're amazing!" he cried, grabbing her face with his hands and planting a kiss square on her lips. He threw his arms around her again laughing. "I can't believe you got it."

Katniss glanced up at him shyly through her eyelashes and for a moment we was struck by how pretty she was, damp hair waving loosely against her face, lips full and slightly parted, cheeks flushed with excitement. He shook his head slightly, clearing his mind. Finnick stood up, offering his hand for Katniss.

"It's pretty big," she said, handing him the still flopping fish.

"Dinner for two?"

Katniss smiled at him. "I'll stop by and tell Sae. But lets go now, my clothes are soaked and so are yours."

Finnick tossed Katniss her boots and placed wrung out his shirt with one hand, carefully carrying the fish in the other. It only gave the occasional spasm now and then, and Finnick was anxious to get it back home so he could clean it and start cooking. They hurried home through the woods, Katniss carrying the wares that Finnick had brought, and Finnick carrying the fish and other branches they had collected in hopes of making a new fishing rod.

As promised, Katniss stopped by Greasy Sae's house on the way home but motioned him on so he could get started on dinner. Finnick divested of his branches on the porch and went to the kitchen with the fish, quickly gutting and scaling it. He didn't actually know how Katniss liked her fish, so after some moments of indecision, he decided that simple was the way to go. He got out a pan and lighted up the stove deciding to sear it first. Rummaging through the cabinets he found some salt and pepper and in the fridge there was a lemon, broccoli, and some freshly cut herbs. Realizing it would take longer to cook the broccoli than the fish, Finnick filled a pot with water and set it on the stove in place of the pan, waiting impatiently for it to boil.

Katniss returned just as the water started to bubble, and Finnick did some suave multi-tasking, heating up the pan for the fish and throwing the broccoli in to be blanched. He seasoned the fish with the herbs and spices he had found before tossing it onto the pan. He quickly drained the broccoli, testing that they weren't too soft nor undercooked, and then he flipped the fish over before grabbing two plates and dividing the broccoli on them.

"Smells great," Katniss called from her stool at the counter.

"Almost ready," he called back. A few minutes later he was cutting the fish in half and squeezing lemon juice onto it. "Alright, I hope you like it," he said, placing the plates on the dinner table. Katniss joined him and immediately dug in.

"It's delicious," she said after a few bites. "I haven't had fresh caught fish in a while. Gale and I used to go fishing, but..." She clenched her fist.

"What happened with Gale?" he asked her bluntly.

She frowned at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Katniss," Finnick sighed. "We have to help each other out. I don't know anything about who I am, I barely know you. Let's not keep things from each other."

Katniss looked away guiltily. "He used to be my best friend."

"I gathered," Finnick agreed. "But not anymore?"

"No," she spat out. "He came to see me once, when I first got back here. But I couldn't do it. He killed her."

"Gale killed Prim?" Finnick asked slowly. "I don't understand."

"Maybe not intentionally, but he did," she affirmed. "Gale and Beetee were working on some weapons and strategies when we were in District 13. They designed bombs to look like parachutes, so that the victims would think that help was coming when really they were about to be killed. It's how Prim died. Because of Gale's invention she burned to death in front of my eyes." Katniss's voice was tight, her eyes waterin, but she clenched her jaw and refused to cry.

She took some deep breathes to calm herself down and her shoulders hunched as she slumped in her seat. "It's not really his fault. It's Coin's fault for doing it knowingly. It's my fault for not protecting her. But it's too painful to bear alone," she said quietly. "I couldn't even look at him when he came over. All I could see was Prim's face, right before she burned to death, screaming my name." And the tears fell then, but Katniss wiped them away angrily. "That's what happened with Gale."

Finnick nodded, not knowing what to say. They ate the rest of their meal in silence, and that night Katniss closed her bedroom door. Finnick sighed and walked quietly back to his room, crawling into bed and feeling ill at ease. He missed having Katniss pressed against him, her soft hair brushing his face. He curled in on himself like he used to do when he was alone in the hospital and hummed himself to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

Things returned to normal the next day, Katniss pretending nothing had happened, and leaving her door open for him the that night. They spent the week in relative ease, slowly getting to know each other again. Finnick made some new fishing poles and Katniss showed him the creek where she used to fish. Sae now only came several times a week to check on Katniss, the rest of the time the two of them taking turns cooking.

It took some days, but Finnick finally convinced Katniss to venture out into town again. "Hazelle would love to see you," he persuaded.

The brunette frowned, playing with her fingers nervously. "I don't know..."

"She's always asking about you."

"You'll be there right?"

Finnick smiled at her. "I'll always be there for you Kat."

"Okay. But lets have her over here for dinner."

"Her kids will be with her." At her horrified look he quickly added, "Not Gale. Will you join me in town then? I was thinking we could buy some food for dinner." It was more a ploy to get her out of the house than anything, and after a few more minutes of persuasion Katniss agreed.

She was nervous as they headed towards town, and Finnick was pleasantly surprised when she clung to his arm. People stared at them as they walked through the town square, though some people smiled and greeted the pair. Finnick headed down the lane towards Hazelle's house and knocked on the door. Posy answered the door.

"Hi Posy, is your mom home?"

"Yes. Mom!" she called.

There was a shuffling from the back and Hazelle soon appeared. "Finnick hi. What can I-oh! Katniss. Hello dear, how are you?" She was flustered.

"Hi Hazelle," Katniss replied quietly, stepping out from behind Finnick a bit more.

"We wanted to invite you over for dinner tonight," Finnick told her.

"Oh sure. Of course. Can I bring something?" she asked.

"Maybe some dessert?" Finnick asked.

Hazelle smiled. "Sure."

Before things could get awkward Finnick said goodbye. They headed to the produce stalls that replaced the Hob. They strolled the aisle slowly, scoping out the options. When they reached the end they turned around and decided to buy potatoes, green beans, garlic and onions. They headed back into town, and as they passed Mavis' shop Finnick paused. "Can I invite someone else too?" he asked Katniss.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

He led her into Mavis' shop where the young seamstress was busily working. "Hi Mavis," Finnick greeted.

"Hi Caspian."

"Finnick," he corrected. "Finn."

"Okay," she said, dragging the word out. "Finnick. Finn. What can I do for you?" She glanced at Katniss who was hanging back near the door.

"Wanted to invite you over for dinner," he told her.

"Dinner?"

"Yes. You know, where you eat food."

"Hah hah. Okay. I'll go to dinner. Where?"

"Victor Village. The big white one with blue drapes," he told her. "You may even see a mangy little cat hanging around." Buttercup had finally moved from Katniss' old house to her new one. They fed him scraps of food from their meals.

Mavis smiled lightly, her eyes a little wide. "I've never been to a Victor's house..." she mumbled.

"Well, you will tonight. See you then!" Finnick grabbed Katniss' hand and pulled her out of the shop. "Mavis makes me clothes for me," he explained. "She's an orphan. Her mother died when they bombed the District."

"Oh," Katniss said, her brow furrowing. "She's so little." Finnick knew that Katniss was thinking of Prim. Mavis had light brown hair and blue eyes, a similar look to the pictures of Prim that he had found. Of course, Prim had been blonde, but they shared the same innocent, youthful look, and maybe even the same age.

"She lives in her shop and does all the work," he told Katniss. "Her mother taught her when she was young. Mavis said that she'd be in an orphanage if they were up and running."

Katniss frowned at him. "I had to do the same or else Prim and I would have gone to the orphanage. Mom went catatonic after Dad died and we almost starved to death."

Finnick decided to change topics before Katniss disappeared too far into herself. "Let's go hunting."

"What are you thinking of?"

"Whatever crosses our path," Finnick said cheerfully. Hunting always seemed to bring some joy to her and he was eager to sooth out the furrows in her brow. "Come on!" Finnick began jogging back to their house and Katniss took off after him.

They quickly deposited their items and gathered some hunting supplies. Katniss had been trying to teach Finnick how to shoot with her bow but he couldn't quite get it down with his bionic hand. His fingers weren't dexterous enough nor did they have the strength to hold the string when he tried to pull it back, so instead he had been practicing with a spear. Katniss told him he used to be quite skilled with a trident and Finnick had fragments of memory return to him: a parachute with a silver trident floating down, him spearing some fish with a trident, and then one he didn't like, his trident impaling the soft flesh some faceless person.

They quickly headed out, and Katniss told him she was pleased by his lightness of foot. "I could never hunt with Peeta," she told him. "He sounded like a giant stomping on bubble wrap, it was awful."

They quietly traipsed through the woods, searching for game. There was much Finnick wanted to talk about, to ask about, but he knew it was imperative to keep quiet. Suddenly Katniss threw her arm out, motioning him to stop. She stood entirely still for a few minutes then slowly reached back for one of her arrows, silently notching it. Finnick shifted slight to the left and was finally able to see the young deer that Katniss was aiming at. Finnick readied the spear he held in case he needed to throw it. Katniss took a deep breath, aiming, and let her breath out as she released the arrow.

It struck the deer in the neck but didn't immediately kill it. Frightened, the deer started to run, but Katniss had already notched and released another arrow. Finnick watched, mesmerized, as she repeated this once again, until the deer final stumbled and fell. Katniss sighed heavily, letting her arms drop. She walked over to it, Finnick trailing behind, and she pulled the arrows from its neck. The blood rushed out and they waited a few minutes until it stopped bleeding and twitching.

"I always feel so guilty when I hunt now," Katniss told him quietly. Finnick removed the blanket from the pack he was carrying and threw it over the dead deer. He groaned as he lifted it and Katniss had to put her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"We should take this to the butcher." Katniss nodded and they began the trek back to town. The pair caused a little stir as they carried the carcass by the different shops towards the butcher. They had seen their Mockingjay not once but twice today, which seemed a small miracle in itself. Katniss opened the door and greeter the butcher, Rooba, that she'd known all her life.

"Deer?" Rooba asked from behind the counter.

"Could it be done by this afternoon?" Katniss asked her as Finnick followed Rooba to the back room and divested himself of the deer onto a big butchers table.

"Be done by five," Rooba told them. "Usual payment?"

"Yes," Katniss agreed.

"What's the usual payment?" Finnick asked as they exited the shop.

"Half the torso and a leg."

"Oh." They headed back to the Victor's Village slowly, enjoying the day's cooler weather. "I have the day off of work tomorrow too. I was thinking it would be nice to do some yard work." Katniss raised an eyebrow in question. "The lawn needs mowing, the bushes need trimming, and I found a nice pair of trees that are begging for a hammock."

Katniss shrugged. "If you want."

"Also, I was thinking it might be nice to make a little cat door for Buttercup."

Katniss made a face at him. "Damn cat comes and goes whenever he likes anyway." He figured that meant he could do it. Cheered by this he chattered away happily to Katniss the whole walk home.

When they reached home, however, there was someone waiting for them on their porch, bottle in hand. Finnick stared at the man while they approached, but the latter seemed to be in a bit of a stupor and didn't notice as Finnick and Katniss came closer. He looked familiar, Finnick thought, with his curly dark hair and gray eyes. But it's the way he takes a swig of his liquor that makes Finnick remember.

"Haymitch?"

The man looks at him blearily, struggling to stand up. "Heard the Mockingjay was out and about again," he says, stumbling towards them. He trips on his shoe and Finnick reaches out to steady him. Haymitch reeks of alcohol. The older man claps him on the back and looks up into his face, studying it intently. There is intelligence in his eyes, Finnick decides, despite the alcohol. Haymitch clings to him, staring at his face long enough for Finnick to feel awkward. "Finnick?"

Finnick glances at Katniss who looks stricken. She finally mobilizes and drags Haymitch off of Finnick and towards the house. However, Haymitch struggles and calls out, "Finnick Odair? You're dead!" The man begins to laugh the inebriated way that drunks do when. "How drunk am I, sweetheart?"

Finnick follows them inside to the kitchen where Katniss had forced Haymitch into a chair. She takes away his bottle and replaces it with water. "Hey!" the man slurs. "That's my-that's my-mine."

"You're drunk," Katniss spits out, frowning at him. "What do you want Haymitch?"

Her former mentor took a drink of the water, grimacing at it afterwards. "Came to see you, check on how Panem's hero was doing, now that she's not catatonic anymore." He takes notice of Finnick again. "Am I hallucinating?"

"Come back when you're sober," Katniss said, her temper short.

Haymitch laughed. "You mean never then?"

Katniss shot a look at Finnick and he understood what she wanted. "If you won't do it on your own, then we'll make you."

Katniss distracted him while Finnick went behind Haymitch and grabbed him, trapping his arms. The drunk man screamed in protest, flailing and kick to now avail. Katniss quickly led the way to one of her empty rooms and Finnick pushed the man inside. Katniss quickly shut the door and locked it.

"One of the few rooms that locks from out here," she explained. Haymitch banged against the door, swearing at them. "I'll let you out in a few hours," she shouted through the door. "Now shut the hell up!" Katniss stomped off and Finnick followed in her wake.

"I remember him," he said, slightly in awe.

"Yeah," Katniss grumbled. "And he remembers you too apparently."

Finnick frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

Katniss flushed lightly. "N-no, I guess not. He's just drunk. I don't want him to say stupid things like he usually does." They could head Haymitch's shouts even in the kitchen. "Come on, let's go outside." Finnick followed her outside and watched as she picked up her bow and quiver, aiming at a tree far away.

Knowing he was in for a while of watching Katniss's target practice, Finnick glanced around the yard. Weeds were growing all over the yard, taking over the nicely sculpted beds. He made his way over to the first patch of weeds and started pulling them out. Luckily his bionic hand was unaffected by the prickers that ran down the body of each weed. The flowers that had been planted were wilted, dead from neglect. He wanted to visit the garden shop in town and buy some new flowers. It might be fun to plant some edible things as well, and some herbs. Finnick planned in his head as he pulled up the weeds in each section. He might even be able to dig a pond and entice some ducks into living there. Maybe have some fish live in the pond for easy catching. The grounds were certainly large enough for it, and Finnick missed having water so close.

Katniss jogged over to him, rubbing her arms. "Finnick, will you pick up the deer?"

Finnick glanced up at her from where he was working. "Sure," he said, wiping his face with his hands.

Katniss giggled. "You just put dirt all over your face." Finnick tried to wipe at the dirt but had a feeling he only made it worse by the growing grin on the brunette's face. "Oh just go wash your face," she said, helping him up. She ran her hand through his short hair after he stood up. "Your hair grows fast," she mused. "Still not as long as it used to be though."

Finnick almost groaned when her hands left his hair. It felt so nice to have her threading her fingers through it, her warm hand tugging slightly. He turned quickly and went inside, lest she see his expression. Haymitch was quiet now, and Finnick quietly rinsed his face then filled a glass of water. He silently opened the door, holding his breath. His worry was unfounded, though, as he saw Haymitch passed out on the ground, snoring heavily. He left the water on the table in the room and quietly closed and locked the door again.

He turned to head out the door, but a mirror caught his eye, and for the first time in months he paused to look at himself. The scarring on his face was significantly less noticeable, though he could still see the white lines running all along his face. His hair was perhaps two inches long now, and Finnick was pleasantly surprised that he didn't think himself atrocious. Finnick ran his hands through his hair quickly, trying to get some order to it, and wished it was Katniss playing with his hair instead.

He turned and headed out, waving to Katniss as he left. The deer was ready and waiting for him when he got to Rooba's butcher shop. He grabbed the bag they were in and headed off home again. He noticed the garden shop on the way and stopped by briefly to browse the flowers and discuss his idea with the shopkeeper.

"Sure it's possible," Alyssa told him. "'Course, it would take days to dig a hole big enough for a pond."

Finnick smiled at her, and he thought for a moment that she seemed flustered. "Thank you, Alyssa. I'll be back again soon." He retreated outside again, hurrying home now that the sun was setting. When he got back, Haymitch was reclining on the sofa, ice on his head and eyes closed. Finnick paused, thinking he might say something but then decided he didn't know what to say, so he headed to the kitchen instead.

Katniss was there, cubing the potatoes. "Will you cook the steaks?"

"Sure," Finnick said. She'd shown him the grill the Capitol had so graciously provided to all the Victor houses. He went outside, pressing the button and twisting the appropriate knobs to light the grill. He placed the pre-cut steaks on the grill and went back inside to grab some seasonings.

"You took a while," Katniss told him.

"Stopped by at the garden store," Finnick explained. She only nodded and he went back outside to season his steaks.

"Hi Casp-uh, Finnick."

Finnick turned around and came face to face with Mavis. She was dressed in a pale yellow summer dress and it made him smile. Finnick had rarely seen Mavis in anything other than the plain pants and shirt she wore under her apron at work. "You look nice," he told her.

Mavis tugged her dress self consciously. "Thanks."

"Will you check on Katniss? She might need help."

"Okay." Finnick watched as Mavis knocked tentatively on the door before entering when no one answered.

Finnick patiently waited for the steaks to finish before bringing them inside. He was happy to see the two girls conversing lightly. He placed the plate on the counter and startled when Greasy Sae and her granddaughter entered. Sae sniffed the air appreciatively and asked, "Deer? Smells good."

Finnick quickly counted the steaks then turned to her and smiled. "It'll be ready soon. We're just waiting on a few more people." He set the table in the meantime and then went to check on Haymitch. "Come to the dinner table," he told Haymitch.

The man groaned at him. "Go'way."

Finnick heaved the man up and helped him totter over to the table. "There you go." A knock on the door alerted Finnick to the arrival of their other guests. "Hi," he greeted.

"Hi Finnick," Hazelle said, offering him the cake she was holding. He let them inside and went to place the cake in the fridge. Hazelle herded her kids to the table where Mavis was sitting. The girl brightened up when she saw Vick, and the latter darted to the chair next to her.

"Finn?" Katniss called. He hurried to her side. "Will you serve the plates?"

Finnick arranged the plates along the counter and added a steak to each one, followed by a serving of green beans and finally the oven-roasted potatoes. He placed the plates in front of each person and went back to help Katniss reach the glasses for water. She was up on tiptoe, her slight frame making her too short to reach the top shelf on one of the cabinets. She had grabbed one of the glasses when she lost her footing. Finnick grabbed her from behind, one arm going around her waist to steady her, and one reaching up to grab the glass. She fell back into him and he nearly tripped himself from the force.

Finnick placed the glass on the counter and whispered in her ear, "Are you alright?" Katniss blushed, nodding yes. Finnick couldn't help but nuzzle his nose in her hair for a moment, inhaling deeply. She shifted in his arms to face him and for a moment he was distracted by how pretty she was, gray eyes staring up at him through dark lashes, pink lips slightly open. His heart surged with affection for her. I want to kiss her, he thought.

"Finnick?" she asked quietly. She was no stranger to that look in a man's eye, but she was thoroughly surprised to see it in Finnick's. Even when he'd been such a flirt before and during the Quarter Quell, there'd only ever been mischief.

He pulled back suddenly, giving her a grin. "You're too clumsy for your own good." Finnick reached up and easily grabbed the glasses down while Katniss filled them with water. Finally the pair sat down to dinner and the group dug in.

Greasy Sae's granddaughter, whom Finnick finally decided to name Poppy because of the way she would pop up to chatter when you least expected it, was happily talking with Posy while Mavis and Vick giggled to each other in their own little world.

"Katniss, thank you for having us over. I'm assuming tonight's venison is your handiwork?" Hazelle attempted at conversation.

"Well I shot it, but Finnick cooked it." She was trying, Finnick knew, and he thought Hazelle could tell too.

Haymitch perked up at the name Finnick. "Finnick?" he asked, a piece of potato falling off his fork. "Could a sworn he was de-"

"How have things been?" Katniss asked Hazelle loudly. Clearly she didn't think now was an appropriate time to talk about this, and Finnick didn't mind.

Hazelle caught on quickly, not even sparing a glance at Finnick. "Oh you know, getting by. When the school opens I'm going to teach," she said excitedly.

"Oh, I didn't know that," Finnick said.

Hazelle smiled. "That's why I stop by so often."

"Ought to be a cooking class," Sae butted in. "Nobody 'round here is creative enough."

"I'll be sure to let them know," Hazelle said kindly.

Haymitch was watching him silently, carefully chewing his meat. He pushed the green beans to the side and took a drink of water. For some reason, Finnick was nervous. Nevertheless they had a pleasant dinner.

"Ready for dessert?" Hazelle asked them after they'd finished their meal and had sat talking for a while. They all chorused their consent and she went to the kitchen to slice the cake. She enlisted Katniss' help in serving the party, and they dug in happily. It was a rich chocolate cake and they all savored the treat.

"That was wonderful," Finnick exclaimed at the end.

"Vick, Mavis, would you mind helping with the dishes?" Hazelle asked the pair. They had been whispering in each other's ears, and their cheeks were pink when they nodded.

"There's a dish washer," Sae said. "I'll help the young ones."

The three of them gathered the remaining dishes and headed to the kitchen. Haymitch took his chance to talk to steal the chair next to Finnick and began to speak lowly. "Do one of you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Katniss grimaced at the man, and Hazelle glanced at Finnick. "'Cause last I heard this man here was supposed to be dead.  
Finnick did his best to explain how he was still alive. Haymitch listened quietly and at the end he didn't say much. Finnick noticed, however, how he and Katniss seemed to be having a silent conversation. Before he could question it, Mavis and Vick returned.

"Well, we should get going," Hazelle said, standing up. "Thank you so much, Katniss, Finnick, for dinner." She collected her children and the left over cake and ushered them out the door. "I'll talk to you soon," she told her hosts as she left.

On his way out Rory stopped next to Finnick. "Nice to have you back."

"Thank you," Mavis said as she exited the house.

"Should I walk you back?" Finnick asked her, concerned.

She only smiled at him. "Vick is going to walk me."

Finnick ruffled her hair slightly. "Tell him he better keep his hands to himself," he told her quietly.

"I'll make sure this one gets home," Sae told them, poking Haymitch. The latter grumbled at her but stood up anyway. Poppy tugged on his hand and started chatting at him now that Posy had left.

Left alone in the house, Finnick yawned. It had been a long day, and he was ready to snuggle up next to Katniss. The pair went up to get ready for bed, and Katniss told him she was going to shower. "I'll leave the door open."

After brushing his teeth and rubbing the last of the cream on his face Finnick headed back to Katniss' room, crawling slowly under the covers. For the first time it struck him as odd that Katniss seemed so natural with all of this. Sleeping under the covers together, living together...nothing seemed to phase her. Then again, Finnick couldn't quite understand the trauma of the Games or of the second rebellion, seeing as he had no memory of it. He figured he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, though, and enjoy whatever convoluted thing he had going on with Katniss.

Finnick was asleep by the time Katniss slipped into bed beside him. He turned over sleepily so that he was facing her and threw his arm around her. In his fuzzy state he though he felt Katniss press a kiss against his neck but he couldn't be sure. Sighing lightly he pulled her to him more tightly and let the darkness overcome him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Finnick was warm and happy. He felt safe here, in his little den, sheets and pillows all around, curtain blocking out the sun. And so he groaned when Katniss stirred in his arms, jarring him from his cozy thoughts. In response he pulled her close, hoping to lull her back to sleep with his body warmth. She stilled then relaxed and Finnick smiled, snuggling his face into the crook of her neck. Katniss took her free arm and ran her fingers through his hair, softly humming a song.

Finnick moaned softly, pressing himself closer to her. Katniss began to scrape her fingers along his scalp and he felt goosebumps break out all over his skin. She started to sing softly and her hand trailed down to his face, slowly following the scars on his face. He stilled, slightly panicked, but melted under her soft touch after a few moments. Katniss had never made him feel ashamed of his scars and he had no reason to start now.

Finnick lifted his head slightly, opening sleepy eyes to look at her. She smiled at him and her hand stilled. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Finnick pressed his cheek into her hand. "Feels good," he mumbled. Her touch inspired in him something he hadn't felt since he woke up in the hospital. Finnick wanted to touch her soft skin and run his hands through her short hair. He thought of the brief kiss he had given her at the lake and his blood rushed to lower regions.

Katniss resumed her ministrations and Finnick withheld his moan, letting his hand slide down to her waist, squeezing lightly. Katniss gasped. "Fin-" The sound of the doorbell cut her off. Katniss nearly fell as she jumped from the bed. "I'll get it."

Katniss ran downstairs and Finnick groaned, flopping back on the bed. It was good she had run away, he reasoned. It might be a bit embarrassing if Katniss were to notice the bulge in his pants. He groaned in discomfort. He couldn't do anything about it lying in the bed they shared, so instead he got up and went to the bathroom, turning the shower on cold. He jumped in, cursing when the icy water hit him. After a minute he shut the water off, stepping into the warm air. Finnick grabbed the spare towel in the room and dried himself off before putting his pajamas back on.

Finnick exited the bathroom and crossed to the door of the bedroom, opening it before freezing. There was yelling going on downstairs, and he recognized the voices: Katniss and Haymitch. Finnick slipped quietly out of the room and crept to the top of the stairs.

"I hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but what exactly do you think is gonna happen when loverboy gets back?"

"He's not coming back. The Capitol made sure of that."

"Oh he's coming back alright, and seeing you and King Triton together ain't gonna go over well."

"I'm happy, Haymitch. Am I not allowed to be happy?"

"Yeah, and just how much does your new man know anyway? 'Cause I've got the idea that if he knew exactly what he was missin' he'd leave this place in an instance."

There was a brief pause, and Finnick realized he'd been holding his breath. When Katniss finally responded, her voice was low and hurt. "I gave them everything. I gave them me, I gave them Peeta, I gave them Prim. Why can't I have what I want for once?"

There was a long silence, and finally he heard Haymitch sigh. "I know, Katniss. It was more than we should have asked of you. I want you to be happy, I just don't want you to get hurt when all this shit falls down on you, and you're not ready."

Finnick crept closer and the wood under him creaked. He silently cursed. "Let's talk later. Finnick is awake and I don't want to deal with this now."

Finnick decided that now was a better time than any to pretend he had just gotten up and hadn't eavesdropped on their conversation. He made his way down the stairs slowly, hearing the front door close as he descended. When he finally reached the kitchen, Katniss was rummaging through the refrigerator.

"Morning," he greeted. Finnick wasn't sure how exactly he was supposed to react. Hopefully Katniss didn't know he had heard the conversation between her and Haymitch, and she seemed distracted enough to not remember their intimate moment in the bed, so he tried to play it cool. "Was that Sae?"

"No," Katniss said, not turning from her perusal of their food contents. "What do you want for breakfast?"

Finnick knew she changed the conversation purposefully, but he let her. He needed time to think about what he heard, and didn't feel like confronting Katniss now. The words Haymitch had said echoed in his head. Someone was going to come back, and it didn't take much for Finnick to connect "loverboy" with Peeta. Finnick was apparently missing something incredibly important from his memories. Katniss was happy with him. It was too early to process everything or sort out his feelings.

"Finnick?"

"Cereal. I want cereal," he said finally, not wanting to alert her in any way.

"We're almost out of milk, but I think we have enough," she said, pulling the jar from the fridge. She poured two bowls of cereal and sat opposite him at the table. Luckily they were both lost in their thoughts, and conversation was minimal.

Finnick told Katniss he was going into town before heading off. He walked slowly, his mind still spinning with questions and theories. Peeta was going to return. Katniss had said that there was something between the two, but she wasn't sure if she loved Peeta. But did Peeta love Katniss? Finnick wracked his mind, willing himself to remember Peeta. He thought he might remember a boy with blond hair and blue eyes, but he wasn't sure if that was Peeta.

Since coming to District Twelve and finding Katniss, Finnick had slowly started to remember faces and flashes of things, but he was beginning to lose hope that anything else was going to return. And yet, he seemed to remember Katniss and whom he believed to be Peeta riding a chariot together, on fire. He couldn't place the memory, but it was the earliest one of Katniss he had.

Haymitch had said he was missing something important. From the way he spoke, Finnick understood that Katniss knew what he was missing and wasn't telling him. While the thought upset him, Finnick also wondered at why he wouldn't remember something so important. And what could it be? Katniss said he didn't have any family. Maybe he had some sort of amazing job? No, they'd briefly discussed that as well; Finnick had had no job, other than that of a forced ladies man.

Finnick shook his head. These things weren't so pleasant to think about. What he wanted to think about was how Katniss had said she was happy. She was happy with him, and she wanted to stay that way. Finnick thought about the woman he was living with, her short brown waves and the few freckles that dusted the bridge of her nose. He thought of the way she smiled when he did something silly, and the soft looks she gave him when he did something nice for her. At first Finnick loved her because she was the only one he remembered, but now he loved her because of who she was. She was no longer some fragment of a memory, but the person he wanted to spend his days with.

Finnick shook his head. He was going to have to figure everything out, all the missing pieces. He took a deep breath before he headed into the garden shop. Alyssa greeted him and he picked the flowers he wanted to plant.

"I was also thinking I would get a wheelbarrow and shovel," Finnick told the woman.

"Sure thing. This way." Alyssa led Finnick to the gardening tools and he picked his wheelbarrow and shovel. "Do you need any help?" she asked him as he loaded all his wares.

"I've got it. Thank you for all your help."

Alyssa blushed, smiling at him widely. "Come back soon."

Finnick wheeled his gardening supplies back to Victor's Village. When he returned home, Katniss wasn't inside or in the yard. Slightly perturbed, Finnick got himself a glass of water before heading back out into the sunshine. He spent a long time turning the soil with his shovel, pulling up dead plants and replacing them with new ones. When he finished that he moved on to mowing the lawn. It was expansive, and halfway through he had to stop and rest, sweating profusely. Finnick took off his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. It felt good to be doing hard work, but he was wishing more and more he could jump in the lake. Maybe he could go when Katniss returned.

Finnick sighed and got back to mowing, only finishing when the sun was at its peak. He stretched and turned to head back to the house when he noticed Katniss watching him from a tree. He headed to it's base, smiling up at her. "How long have you been there?"

Katniss's eyes trailed slowly from his chest up to his face. "Awhile."

"Have you eaten lunch?"

"No."

"Let's get something to eat," he persuaded.

Katniss hesitated for a moment before she agreed. "Catch me." She jumped before he was ready, and Finnick nearly had a heart attack, his arms reaching out for her in a panic. She collided into him, knocking him down. Katniss laughed as she lifted herself from Finnick. "Sorry," she told him, though her tone was contrary to the sentiment.

Finnick smirked at her, conscious of his hands on her hips, and the way her shirt gapped and allowed him a little peek. "Oh, you'll be sorry," he said lowly, as his fingers began to tickle her sides.

Katniss shrieked and tried to fight her way off of him to no avail. The bronze haired man just flipped her over so he pinned her down and continued his assault. "Stop! Finnick! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Finally he stopped, laughing at the tears that escaped her eyes. She was flushed and panting, laying there looking up at him. Finnick brushed some hair from her face, staring down at her. She was happy with him. He was happy with her. What more could he want from this life?

He didn't realize he was staring and was slightly surprised to find Katniss' face slowly inching towards his. His gaze flickered briefly to her lips before green met grey again. Katniss was happy with him. Finnick was happy with her. Katniss was moving towards him at an excruciatingly slow pace. Finnick wanted to kiss her.

Katniss was searching his eyes for any sign of a rejection he wouldn't give. He almost growled in frustration before he realized that he didn't have to wait. He fisted his hand in her hair, reveling in the softness of it against his fingers, before pulling her all the way up to meet him. Finnick moaned against her mouth, loving the way their lips melded together. She sighed against him, and he was inspired to take her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping lightly, excited when her mouth opened slightly in surprise. He let his tongue slip into her mouth, tentatively exploring, and after a few awkward moments, Katniss returned the gesture, a nice pink hue on her cheeks.

Finnick leaned forward, slowly letting Katniss meet the freshly mown lawn. His bionic hand ghosted her side, but he frowned. He couldn't feel her with this hand, and reluctantly he moved his hand from her hair and used it to touch the small bit of exposed skin where her shirt was lifted. Katniss moaned at the touch and gave him a heated look.

"Katniss," Finnick sighed. He didn't want to think about it, not when she was enticing him so well, but his mind wouldn't shut up. She was hiding something from him, something Haymitch thought was really important. Katniss lifted her hips, pressing against him, and Finnick lost his train of thought for a moment. It took an incredible amount of will power, but Finnick was able to taper of their kisses, resting his forehead against hers. His arousal was obviously pressing against her, and he would have been embarrassed but Katniss didn't seem to mind.

Katniss stared up at him, different emotions warring on her face. He knew she felt like she might have been rejected, and so Finnick pecked her on the lips. "Can we take it slow?" he asked, his voice still husky.

A small smile turned the corner of her lips up. "Yeah." She gave him another kiss before Finnick helped her stand. His stomach rumbled and she rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's go get lunch."

They headed back to the house, and when Katniss tentatively brushed her hand against his, Finnick couldn't help but grin. He snatched her hand the next time it brushed against his, and interlocked their fingers. Katniss blushed prettily and looked away. "Do you want to go to the lake after lunch?"

"Sure." She was being bashful, and Finnick was endeared. As they neared the house, Finnick tugged her hand, pulling her close when she turned to face him. He gave her a soft kiss to the forehead.

"I'm happy," he told her. Katniss wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

"Me too," she said softly.

Someone clearing their throat got their attention. The pair jumped apart, spotting Mavis sitting on the chair at the end of the porch. "And you give me shit," she told Finnick, smirking.

Finnick opened his mouth to retort but noticed the tear streaks on Mavis' face and snapped his mouth shut. "Are you hungry? We were just about to get lunch," he said instead. He self consciously put his shirt back on as he waited for her reply.

Mavis nodded and led the way inside to the kitchen. Finnick headed to the fridge and perused the contents. "Well, how about some sandwiches?" I have to buy more groceries, Finnick thought to himself. Katniss had been looking better, her bones not so prominent, and the dark circles under her eyes gone. But she was still painfully thin. Glancing at the two females behind him Finnick frowned slightly. Mavis had always been small, but in her shorts and tank Finnick finally noted that she seemed too thin.

Finnick pulled the chicken meat and cheese they had from the fridge and set them on the counter. The girls talked while he sliced the loaves of bread and filled them with meat and cheese. Carefully he rinsed and cut some tomato and salad greens, adding them to the sandwich as well. Finnick grabbed the olive oil from the cabinet and splashed some on each sandwich. He placed them each on a plate and carried the girls their lunches before joining them at the table.

"Thanks," they told him before digging in. Finnick ate his slowly, noting how Mavis seemed to be scarfing hers down. Noting he hadn't gotten them anything to drink, Finnick got three glasses of water and watched as both girls downed much of theirs in one gulp. Mavis had eaten her whole sandwich before Finnick had taken more than three bites.

"Still hungry?" he asked.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm going to go get more water."

"Something is wrong," Finnick said softly when the girl was in the kitchen.

Katniss nodded. "I know." Finnick gave her an inquisitive look. "Tell you later," she said quickly as their young friend returned.

"So what brought about your visit today?" Finnick asked Mavis when she returned to her seat.

Mavis nervously took a drink of water. "Um, I dunno, I just, uh, you know, um, wanted to visit."

Finnick sighed. "Mavis, you're an awful liar. We're your friends. You can tell us. What's wrong?"

Mavis looked down at the table, and her voice was barely a whisper. "They're going to send me to the orphanage."

"What?"

"It's because she's so young," Katniss said. "Both of her parents are dead and she doesn't have any family here."

"But she has her own business. She supports herself!" Finnick was outraged. How could they do this?

"It's just how it is," Katniss tried to tell him. "Until she's eighteen, unless she gets adopted, she'll be in the orphanage."

"What's going to happen to her store?" Finnick demanded.

Katniss shrugged. "Guess it'll just close. Usually kids can't work. I don't know who is running the orphanage, but if they are nice then she might be able to work still."

"After all this time? That's unreasonable." Finnick was livid. It was so unfair. Katniss just shrugged, glancing at the small girl next to her whose shoulders were shaking. Finnick clenched his hands angrily, his mind racing. Finally the obvious popped into his mind. "We could adopt her."

Katniss' eyes snapped to his. "What?"

"Finn?"

Finnick looked away from Katniss to see the watery gray eyes of Mavis staring back at him. "I'll adopt you. Then you won't have to go to the orphanage. You could live here with us if you like." He should have consulted with Katniss, he knew, but he couldn't let this happen to Mavis. Finnick was afraid to turn to look at the woman who really owned the house, hoping fervently that she wouldn't refuse this.

"You're welcome here," Katniss told her.

Mavis' eyes filled again. "Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Katniss said, and Mavis flung herself at her. Katniss looked stunned for a moment before she slowly put her arms around the girl. Her eyes slid shut and she hugged Mavis back, and Finnick knew at that moment that she was thinking of Prim.

After a moment Mavis disentangled herself and launched herself at Finnick, hugging him around the middle. "Thanks Finnick," she mumbled into his shirt.

Finnick smiled and squeezed her back. "Well, we better head down to the Justice Building now if we still wanted to make it to the lake today."

They quickly cleaned up lunch and headed into town. Hazelle was working at the front desk when they arrived, and she greeted them warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"We're here to adopt Mavis," Finnick told her.

"Oh! Well, let me see here." Hazelle went to the file cabinets behind her and shuffled through some of the files before picking a few of them out. "Alright, well you're both of legal age. I'll just need you to sign some papers."

"And Mavis can keep her business?" Finnick asked, waiting patiently for Hazelle to return with the documents.

"Yes. Technically it will be yours until she is of age, but this will allow her to continue working at her shop if she'd like."

"Good," he said, taking the papers from her. He and Katniss read over the jargon, reading all the details. "You'll have to live with us," he told Mavis, his pen hovering over the paper.

Mavis shrugged, looking up at him shyly. "Okay."

Finnick smiled at her before signing his name and handing the pen to Katniss. He watched as she did the same and then noticed he had signed it as Finnick Odair and not Caspian Sea. "No one will see this right?" he asked Hazelle.

She noticed his panic over the name he signed and patted his hand. "Only me and the man running the orphanage. He may not even care to see it."

Finnick sighed. "Thanks Hazelle." He turned to Katniss and smirked at her. "Looks like you're a mom."

Katniss' mouth dropped open before she glared at him. "Oh shut it, Daddy Odair."

He just chuckled at her, taking Mavis' hand. "Alright my little girl, are you ready to move in?"

Mavis snorted, tugging her hand away from Finnick. "Quit being stupid. But yeah, I don't have much." She marched down the road towards her shop, Katniss and Finnick following behind.

Mavis packed her things into some bags while her new parents waited. She was right when she said she didn't have much. There was a bag of clothes, a smaller one for personal items. "I'm going to leave all my sewing things here," she said. "If I need to work I'll just walk down."

"Right then. Let's deposit these things so we can head to the lake." Finnick walked slightly behind so he could talk to Katniss. "We could put her in my room. I don't really use it after all." He had a feeling she wasn't ready to share Prim's room yet.

Katniss glanced at him and he thought she was trying to decide something. "We have another bedroom downstairs. It's been used as storage, but we can clean it out and Mavis can use that room." She looked away from him quickly and he knew by the glistening in her eyes that his earlier assumption was right. While Finnick hadn't moved any of Mrs. Everdeen's things, he hadn't needed to, the room more than accommodating their scarce belongings. Katniss wasn't ready to let go of her family yet.

There wasn't much in the spare bedroom, just cleaning supplies and boxes full of things from the Everdeen's last house. Katniss helped Finnick move them to the room they had locked Haymitch in, and soon Mavis was putting her own clothes in the room.

"It's huge," she whispered in awe.

Finnick grinned, stepping to stand beside her and squeezing her hand. "Welcome home. Now," he said, clapping his hands. "Let's go swim."

Mavis teetered nervously by her bedroom. "I'll stay here."

Finnick frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know how to swim," she stated as if it was obvious.

Finnick's mouth opened in shock. "Most people here don't know how," Katniss explained. "We don't live by the ocean."

Finnick pursed his lips for a moment before shrugging. "No matter, we'll teach you."

Mavis hesitated a moment longer then gave in. "Don't let me drown."

Finnick grinned then ran upstairs to change into his swimming trunks. He waited impatiently for the girls to change into their swimming clothes. Katniss returned first and she blushed lightly at the sight of his bare chest, quickly looking away. Finnick smirked slightly and sauntered up to her, snaking his arms around her waist and pulling her into him. "Do I get a repeat of earlier tonight?" he whispered in her ear.

Katniss turned completely red and smacked his chest, pushing herself off of him. "Hush!"

Before Finnick could protest Mavis returned and Katniss ushered them out and headed toward the lake. Finnick spent the walk trying to explain the mechanics of swimming to Mavis, refusing to give up even when she told him to shut it already. Finnick finally did shut it when Mavis' mouth dropped open at the sight of the lake.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "I had no idea there was even a lake here."

As she hesitantly kicked off her shoes and went to dip her feet in the water, Finnick turned to Katniss who had been unusually silent. "Kat?"

"I've never shared this place with anyone before," she explained. "Not even Prim."

Finnick grabbed her hand, holding it to his heart. "Thank you, then." He tugged playfully, heading toward the water. "Now come on, before our daughter drowns!"

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry about the long wait, I just moved and finally got internet! I will also be changing the rating of the story to be safe. :) Thanks everyone!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Finnick stared at the woman sleeping next to him. He counted the freckles on her cheeks again, trying not to think. It was a vain attempt. There were only seven freckles, and there was quite a few more things to think about. He sometimes questioned himself and these thoughts. If what he was missing was so important then wouldn't he remember? Why was it so easy to forget in Katniss' presence.

Nevertheless, ever since he had overheard Haymitch and Katniss' conversation he couldn't help but feel that tug in his memories, as if there was a vast gaping hole that spread to his heart. He was missing something. No, he thought, someone. He should just go talk to Haymitch. Truth be told, he didn't really feel like dealing with the drunk man. He could talk to Hazelle. He gleaned that she had been in District Thirteen with him, and surely she could fill him in. Should I?

Everything was going so well. Mavis had settled in nicely, and Finnick had a sneaking suspicion that she was beginning to fill the hole that Prim's death had left in Katniss' heart. The girls could be seen playing together and learning together. Katniss was trying to teach Mavis to shoot, and Mavis had been patiently giving Katniss lessons in sewing. Sometimes they ran off together for hours at a time and refused to tell Finnick where they had been.

He sighed, frustrated. Things were going so well. Brining up the conversation he overheard would just be inviting drama into his life, and he really didn't want that. He carefully disentangled himself from Katniss (who had not yet allowed a repeat of that lovely day two weeks ago when they adopted Mavis, yet another source of his frustrations!) before quietly climbing out of bed and sneaking out of the room. He went to his rarely used room and sat and rummaged in his belongings for a moment, his hand lighting upon the empty metal tin that had once carried his face cream. For a moment he thought of his nurse, Trinia. He'd never called her, despite Katniss having a phone. It was too late to call, he thought, but then...people in the Capitol did stay up late. No, he decided after a moment. Tomorrow, he could call tomorrow.

Finnick sighed and stood up, stretching. He walked to the window and gazed down into the yard, noting how the cool night air hit him when he cracked open the window. He had a terrible longing for the sea. He saw his hammock swaying slightly in the breeze and smiled. Quietly he tip toed down the stairs and out the back door, flinching when the screen door creaked loudly as it closed. He sighed as he finally lay on his hammock, stretching slightly and staring up at the stars. If he closed his eyes he could almost hear the ocean, taste the salt in the air.

"Finnick?"

The quiet voice startled him, and Finnick nearly tumbled out of his hammock. "Mavis!" he chastised, glaring up at her.

"Sorry, sorry," she mumbled, waving her hands in appeasement. "What are you doing up? You're not very sneaky, you know."

Finnick rolled his eyes at her before sitting up and encouraging her to join him on the hammock. "Thinking. What are you doing up?"

"Thinking," she replied.

Finnick bumped her shoulder. "Bout what?"

Mavis looked up at the stars. "My parents." She surreptitiously wiped a tear from her eye, and Finnick reached over and placed his hand over hers.

"I'm trying to remember my life."

Mavis turned to look at him. "You really don't remember anything do you?"

Finnick shook his head. Deciding to confide in her he told Mavis about the conversation he had overheard. "I don't know what it is. It's really frustrating. But if I can't remember, then could it really have been that important?"

Mavis smiled slightly. "I knew it," she said softly. "You are Finnick Odair after all." Finnick raised his brow at her. "Well, I didn't know at first. You, uh, well, you didn't look like yourself when you first got here. But lately it's been pretty obvious. Well, the name itself was a big clue, but it took a while for me to see the resemblance. I'd only ever seen you on the big screen during the Games, after all. And once, in District Thirteen."

"You were there?" he asked, surprised.

Mavis nodded. "All the orphans had to stay together. We had stricter schedules than the rest. I saw you in the Hospital Ward once." Finnick frowned, trying to remember. "Uh, word was you weren't quite, y'know...sane at the time."

Finnick looked away, slightly ashamed. "Guess some things are better left forgotten."

00000000000

The morning sun tried to wake Finnick, but he resisted, turning over and burying his face in his arm to block out the sun. He tossed and turned for a while, trying to get comfortable, and when he finally found himself sleepy again, he was rudely awakened by someone clearing their throat loudly.

"What?" Finnick groaned groggily. He frowned up at the person, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light.

"What're you doing out here?" The voice was unmistakeable.

"Sleeping, Haymitch. What are you doing out here?"

Haymitch was silent for a few moments, waiting for Finnick to sit up and acknowledge him. The older man took a swig of his drink before fixing Finnick with his stare. "Here to warn you."

For a moment fear seized him, but Finnick fought it down. "About what?"

"The end of your fairytale."

"What?"

Haymitch took another drink before replying. "Peeta's coming home. You got one week."

Finnick felt as though he had been punched in the gut, all the air in his lungs coming out in a rush of disbelief. "A week?"

Haymitch nodded, turning away. "Say hi to the Mockingjay for me." Haymitch stumbled away, but before he was out of earshot he called back over his shoulder, "If you ever wanna find out who you are, come talk to me."

Finnick watched the man recede across the lawn, heading back to his own house. He flopped back on his hammock, disgruntled and with his heart palpitating. He couldn't catch a break, could he?

"Fuck," he hissed, jumping up. He should check on Katniss, he knew, but for once he didn't really want to see her. Instead he headed out to the forest, ignoring the early morning risers who were picking flowers near the entrance. He practically ran to the lake, barely hesitating to toss aside his shirt and pants before he dove in. The water was cold in the early morning, but he relished the feel of it. He dove down as deep as he could, opening his eyes to see the fish swimming away from him. Under the water his thoughts cleared, and he wasn't bogged down by the problems of the world above. Finnick stayed underwater until his lungs were ready to burst before he swam up, gasping for air. He repeated this again and again, swimming around the lake, working his muscles to exhaustion. He shouldn't be doing this, he had to work today, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

When next he came up the sun was higher in the sky, and he saw someone watching him. He stayed up, sucking in air, and squinting his eyes against the bright light. It took him a moment but finally he could see her clearly.

"Finnick," Katniss called, standing from the rock she was sitting on and walking toward the lake's edge. Finnick resisted the urge to turn away from her and instead swam towards Katniss. He was rising out of the water when Katniss shrilly announced, "You're naked!" Finnick raised his eyebrows at her before glancing down at himself. "Stop! Stop!" When Finnick refused to halt his progress, Katniss turned her back to him.

Finnick smiled slightly and shook his head. They shared a bed together every night and yet the sight of his nude body was too much for her. Finnick played nice and put his pants on before clearing his throat. "Katniss?"

"Are you decent?" she demanded.

"Yes."

She whirled on him. "You were gone this morning," she accused, striding towards him and poking him in the chest with her finger. "You didn't come back to bed last night at all."

She stood there, hands on her hip, foot tapping impatiently. Her cheeks were flushed, a slight sheen of sweat across her forehead, and her hair was waving away from her face in all directions. The sunlight glanced off her burn scars, something she had been extremely self conscious of, as they spread across her back, arms and legs, and yet she was beautiful. Her dark eyelashes that brushed her cheeks when she blinked, her deep grey eyes that sparkled when she laughed.

I could love her, Finnick thought.

"Well?" she said, glaring up at him.

Finnick bent down suddenly, his arms wrapping around her and pulling Katniss close to him. He kissed her passionately, one hand coming up to fist in her hair. She responded hesitantly at first but then enthusiastically. Katniss pressed against him and Finnick moaned, walking forward until she was trapped between him and the rock. If she wanted to stop him she would, he knew; and with that knowledge he let his hand slide under her shirt, pleasantly surprised to find that she wasn't wearing a bra. Katniss jumped when he traced the underside of her breast, pushing at him lightly, but quickly yielding.

Finnick moved from her mouth to her neck, searching for the spot that made her weak, and pleased to find it when he bit lightly on the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "Finnick," she moaned, her own hands fumbling around on his chest. Finnick sucked harder on her neck, nipping lightly, leaving a mark. His hands both went to cup her breasts, and he used his real hand to tweak her nipple. Katniss cried out, and for a moment Finnick glanced her face, worried he had hurt her, but it was a cry of pleasure. It was that moment, though, her face twisted in pleasure, that he saw someone else. Another woman's face. She still had brown hair and sun kissed skin, but she was different, older than Katniss.

Finnick pulled back with a jolt. When she noticed, Katniss opened her eyes to look at him, her cheeks flushed, with embarrassment or pleasure he wasn't sure. Who was that? he thought frantically. Sometimes he remembered other women, Capitol women, but this one had been different. Something tugged on his heart, and Finnick disentangled himself from Katniss, clutching at his aching chest.

Katniss made some noise beside him, but Finnick wasn't focused. He was wracking his mind, trying to remember the woman he suddenly recalled. "Who was she?" he mumbled.

"What?" Katniss asked, her arms crossed. Her cheeks were still pink, but now her eyes were angry and unsure.

Finnick noted the look and saw the damage he might do if he didn't handle the situation right. It was as though his mind and body knew what to do subconsciously, because suddenly he smiled at her, closing the distance between them again. "Sorry," he said huskily into her ear. He nibbled on it lightly and Katniss shivered. "You distracted me too much." His hands found their way to her hips. "Shall we continue where we left off?"

"I, uh..."

"I like hearing you moan my name," he told her, pressing against her.

But suddenly Katniss moaned, pushing back against him. "Stop." He looked at her with dark eyes, not understanding. "I don't want your show," she told him, pushing his chest until he let her go. "You're going to be late for work," she said icily, turning heel and walking away.

Finnick stared after her, deflating. Show, she had said. What she meant was that she didn't want the prostitute he had been. Angrily he punched the rock, wincing when he felt his knuckles scrape along the hard surface. What the hell was going on? He looked at the position of the sun in the sky and swore. He was already late.

0000000

Finnick stayed late at work but headed to Hazelle's house before he went home. When he didn't find her there he went to the Town Hall as directed and found her sitting behind the welcome desk.

"Finnick," she greeted warmly.

"Hi Hazelle," he greeted quickly. "I was wondering if we had any sort of record of the Hunger Games?"

Hazelle frowned at him. She looked as if she wanted to say something, hesitating with her mouth slightly open. Finally she settled on, "Are you sure you want to see?" Finnick nodded and she sighed. "We were required to keep copies of the Hunger Games. Do you want them all or are you looking for a specific one?"

"Oh." He hadn't thought of that. "I'd like my Games," he said, nodding. "Could I have Katniss' too?"

Hazelle frowned but agreed. She disappeared into the back and Finnick waited anxiously. She returned with four cases. "You were the Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games. Katniss was the Seventy-Fourth. You were both in the Seventy-Fifth Games, but they were never completed," she said wryly. She hesitated again. "I know you have a lot of questions about who you are," she said slowly. "The Hunger Games are terrible things. They change a person. I don't want you to think you are some sort of monster after watching these."

Hazelle handed the cases over. "What's this one?" he asked, inspecting the box on the bottom.

"You can choose to watch this one or not," she said. Hazelle placed her hand over his. "I know you are so lost. I know you have questions about who you are and what happened. But I've never seen you or Katniss so happy. Just don't forget that."

Finnick leaned forward and kissed Hazelle's forehead. She blushed prettily and he said earnestly, "Thank you."

Finnick walked home slowly, staring at the little cases he was holding. They seemed innocent enough, merely written with the number of which Hunger Games it was, but Finnick felt a great weight settle on him. Hazelle knew things, and she was giving him an opportunity to discover what he was missing. He knew he couldn't watch these at the house, not with Katniss and Mavis there. He would go to Haymitch's house tonight, when they were asleep.

Greasy Sae was in the kitchen cooking when Finnick went inside. Katniss and Mavis were helping to slice some vegetables, and while Mavis and Sae greeted him, Finnick noted with a frown how Katniss refused to look at him.

"Set the table," Sae requested. Finnick nodded, surreptitiously hiding the videos behind him.

"Back in a moment," he said, jumping up the stairs two at a time and quickly stashing the movies in his room. He returned downstairs to set the table, noting Poppy playing with some yarn in the living room. He sat at the counter then, watching the women finish cooking.

Dinner was a quiet affair, the silence broken only by Poppy's questions and stories, with Mavis and Sae appropriately responding. Katniss still didn't look at him and Finnick found himself growing more and more frustrated. Was she embarrassed or upset? Did it have to do with what happened at the lake today, or was she still mad about how he had left last night? Finnick toyed with his dinner mostly, too nervous to eat, and trying to force Katniss into meeting his eyes. At last everyone finished, and Katniss jumped up, rushing to the kitchen to put her plate away. Normally she would have helped with the dishes, but tonight she headed straight up to her room, closing her door.

Finnick growled, running a hand through his hair.

"What happened?" Mavis asked him as she soaped the pots and pans.

"I don't know," he admitted angrily. Mavis raised her eyebrow at him in disbelief. "I don't know which one it is," he corrected. "I know she's mad at me for some reason, but I don't know which."

Mavis nodded. "Just let her cool off," she soothed.

Finnick remained silent, hurriedly drying the dishes and putting them away so that he could leave. "I'll be back late," he told Mavis, running to his room to collect his things.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her forehead slightly wrinkled in concern.

"Haymitch's house," Finnick responded, pausing at the door. "Don't tell Katniss okay?"

Mavis frowned but nodded and Finnick took off, practically sprinting to Haymitch's house down the way. He banged noisily on the door and heard a gruff response, but continued to knock until Haymitch wobbled to the door and opened, practically falling on top of Finnick.

The younger man helped Haymitch stand and let himself inside, kicking away empty bottles and shuddering at the mess that was the Abernathy household. "Come to talk?" Haymitch asked, taking another swig of whatever poison he had chosen tonight.

"Come to watch," Finnick responded, showing him the movies.

"Well be my guest," Haymitch said grumpily, waving his arm in the direction of where his neglected television was. Finnick headed in the direction of what he assumed was the living room, instantly spotting the enormous TV. He had to push aside papers and bottles to get to the disc player, but soon he had opened his own Hunger Games and popped it in, scraping some more things off the couch to make room for himself. He was surprised when Haymitch sat next to him, handing him a bottle of booze. Hesitantly Finnick took it though he didn't yet drink it.

There was an opening sequence, a brief intro about the rebellion and Treaty of Treason that was hauntingly familiar to Finnick, and then a man with emerald green hair was smiling at him.

"Caesar," Finnick said aloud. Haymitch grunted his agreement.

Caesar welcomed everyone to the Games before the Reaping was shown. Finnick vaguely recalled the Tributes from District One and Two, and he held his breath, waiting for them to show his own District and Reaping. Unlike the first two districts, the children from Four didn't volunteer. However, when the girl was called she proudly walked to the stage, smiling lightly. Then his own name was called, and suddenly Finnick was watching a close up of himself, albeit a very young looking self. For a moment Finnick saw fear pass across his face, but it was so brief that he was almost sure he imagined it. The next moment he was swaggering up to the stage, blowing kisses at some of the girls.

He watched the other Tributes from the other Districts be called, noting how as the numbers progressed the children looked smaller and more malnourished. Finnick started to feel sick.

He watched the Opening Ceremony in disinterest, though he felt as though he could not fast forward through the interviews. These were the children he had killed, he knew, and he owed it to them to hear what they thought.

The start of the Games, as they were all standing on their podiums seemed infinite to Finnick. He clenched the forgotten bottle tightly, his heart racing. Finally the buzzer sounded and most of the kids raced to the Cornucopia, and Finnick watched in horror as many were slaughtered. He caught sight of himself stabbing someone with a knife before joining up with the Tributes from One and Two. His fellow tribute, Cecelia, joined them, though she was clutching at her bleeding arm.

"I don't understand," Finnick said, eyes not leaving the screen. "Why aren't we killing each other?"

"Career Tributes," Haymitch explained. "One, Two and Four usually band together in the beginning, hunting off the other Tributes before turning on each other. Bred to be killers and trained that way until they are no longer eligible to participate in the Games."

Finnick felt sick. "District Four, were we also..."

Haymitch took a swig before answering. "Not as much. You still get trained, but it's not your sole focus as a kid in Four. Part of the time is training, the other half is an apprenticeship for the field you'll be working in."

"The other Districts don't even have a chance," Finnick muttered.

Haymitch clinked their bottles together, startling Finnick. "Better drink up Odair. It just gets worse from here."

Haymitch wasn't lying. He watched himself, along with his allies, pick off the other Tributes one by one. He saw himself kill a young girl from Seven, and a boy from Ten. They didn't look to be more than twelve.

Finnick was halfway through his bottle of liquor when he watched the female Career from Two kill Cecelia in her sleep. She snuck up in the night and slit her throat, hand over her mouth to quiet the noise. In the morning he saw himself throw a fit and leave. Shortly thereafter he noticed that the Games seemed to be focused on him, and Caesar commenting on how the Capitol was enamored. The fourth day in Finnick received a trident. It was glorious, and he watched himself wield it with practiced ease. He watched himself weave a net from some leaves and vines of the nearby trees then easily capture and kill the remaining Tributes. It was disgusting how easily he seemed to kill them, and Finnick wanted to crawl out of his own skin.

"Humans are meant to survive," Haymitch told him as they watched Finnick being air lifted out of the arena, not a scratch on him. "They'll fight to the death to keep alive. Do things they never would have even thought of. You're not evil, Finnick, you're human."

Finnick watched with glazed eyes as he was welcomed back to the stage with Caesar, dressed in a sea green top meant to match his eyes, the top half left undone so that the Capitol could easily see the defined muscles of his chest. He nearly threw his bottle at the screen, absolutely abhorred with how he acted. Nonchalant, flirty, happy. He had just killed children, for fuck's sake, and here he was acting like nothing had happened.

Haymitch interrupted his train of thought. "It's all an act," he explained. "Always was. You do what you have to survive, and the Capitol wanted a Playboy out of you, so that's what you were made into."

Finnick glanced at him. "How do you..." Haymitch knew exactly what he was thinking all the time. It was unnerving.

"Been around a long time, kid. Mentored a lot of tributes. Hell, I had to deal with Katniss over there. It ain't hard to get into someone's head after a while."

Finnick stopped the video after that, unable to watch his return home or the Victory Tour. The two men sat there for a while, staring a the screen, paused on Finnick's youthful face smoldering at the Capitol citizens.

After some time Haymitch got up and switched the movies in, putting in Katniss's games. "Maybe it will help you understand her better," he said, plopping back down on the couch and pressing play on the remote as if it were any old day and they weren't about to watch more children slaughter each other.

Finnick was shocked to see himself on stage at the District Four Reaping, though he was ashamed to admit that he didn't remember the Tributes from his District. When Rue from Eleven was Reaped Finnick felt a sadness wash over him, though he couldn't quite remember why. Obviously she died, but why was he so saddened by it?

At last it was District Twelve, and Finnick held his breath, waiting for Katniss' name to be called. But it wasn't. That's right, he thought. She volunteered for Prim. It was almost more than he could bear, seeing Katniss so desperately trying to save her sister when he knew in the end it would amount to nothing. He watched as a young man pulled Prim away from Katniss and he was struck. He knew him.

"Gale," Haymitch provided.

"Hazelle's son," Finnick recalled. "He doesn't live here anymore."

"No. Damn near broke her heart too, him not coming back," Haymitch said off handedly. Finnick glanced at him, but the man was staring resolutely at the screen.

"What's the deal with Gale and Katniss?"

Haymitch snorted. "Unrequited love."

"On whose part?"

"His. Poor guy is so obviously in love with her, and yet she can't see beyond her sister's needs. All for the better, though, those two didn't along very well towards the end."

"What happened?"

Haymitch took another long drink before he replied. "She blames him for Prim's death."

"Oh." Finnick remembered now, Katniss telling him how Prim had died in the bombings. She hadn't mentioned Gale's role in it, but he wasn't about to ask her. "Why?"

"Him and Beetee were the ones that came up with the scheme. 'Course, the didn't intend for it to kill their own people, but Coin didn't care about it at all. Anything to get what she wanted. Oh, you'll want to watch this."

Finnick turned his attention back to the screen where- "She's on fire!" he cried, jumping up.

Haymitch laughed loudly. "That was the reaction of half the Capitol, still gets me every time."

Finnick glared at the man before turning his attention back to the television. Now that they had a close up, Finnick could see that Katniss wasn't on fire. "That's Peeta," he stated. He remembered the boy now, little fragments of memory flying back to him. "Ugh, did I kiss him?"

"CPR in the Quarter Quell. You saved his life," Haymitch informed.

Finnick grimaced. He didn't like the way Peeta looked at Katniss, the way he held her hand and stood so close. "Were they an act too?" he asked bitterly.

Haymitch shrugged. "Peeta's in love with her. Who knows with Katniss. She does what she has to do to survive."

Finnick said nothing, but instead watched as the interviews played. Then the Games began, and finally he understood. It was easy to see that Peeta was in love with Katniss, desperate to do anything it took to make sure she survived. Katniss, however, did what she had to, exactly as Haymitch said. It still didn't sting his pride any less when she got cozy with Peeta, and even kissed him.

He finally remembered why he was so sad about Rue, and Finnick finished his bottle of booze to dull the pain. By now he could barely see straight, but still he watched. He watched as they were chased by mutts, as Katniss had to shoot Cato's hand to save Peeta, and how they almost died together. He felt something akin to jealousy surge within him. It was irrational, he knew, but Peeta had shared some pretty intense experiences with Katniss, and he couldn't even remember the time they had spent together in District Thirteen.

Haymitch was snoring heavily by the end of the video, Finnick brooding about all he had seen. Suddenly sleeping man suddenly jolted awake, holding a knife to Finnick's.

"Whoa!" Finnick screamed. "Haymitch stop!"

It took Haymitch a moment but suddenly he snapped into focus, stuffing the knife back under the couch cushions. "Sorry, habit." He stretched then. "Enough for tonight. You can come back tomorrow."

Haymitch promptly passed out on the couch, and so Finnick let himself out. He let the starlight guide him back home, then quietly entered the house. He walked up the stairs, glancing at Katniss' room and starting to walk away before doing a double take. The door was part way open, inviting him in. Smiling, Finnick quickly brushed his teeth before slipping inside the room. Katniss was sleeping fretfully on the bed, stuck in some sort of nightmare. She was crying Prim's name, and Finnick rushed over, slipping into bed beside her.

"I'm here. Sorry I'm late," he soothed, taking Katniss in his arms and kissing her softly.

Katniss sighed against him instantly relaxing. Her eyes fluttered open, and she took in his visage for a moment before snuggling closer. "Finnick," she sighed quietly, face burrowed in his chest. "I love you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"What?" Katniss asked irritably. "Why do you keep staring at me?"

The morning had been fairly uneventful. Katniss seemed a little surprised to find Finnick in her bed, but she brushed it and all the prior days events off, and acted as if there had never been a rift between the two of them.

She was acting completely normal, and now Finnick was starting to wonder if he had perhaps imagined Katniss's sleepy confession last night. Instead of answering her question, Finnick smiled at her, sidling up behind her and placing his hands on her waist. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Girl on Fire?" he whispered in her ear.

Katniss blushed, struggling against him. "Don't start with that again," she protested, turning around in his grasp and thumping his chest with her fist.

Finnick captured her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm. He moved his other hand up to her cheek, leaning down, almost touching her lips. "You're a little fire cracker today," he said softly. "I like fire."

"Ugh!" Katniss cried, pushing against him. She was flushed nicely now, and Finnick smirked. He loved that he could make her squirm and blush like that. "What is your deal today?"

"I can't help it," he sighed dramatically, bringing his hand to his forehead. "You deprived me of your company all of yesterday."

Katniss frowned at him, crossing her arms. "You're being ridiculous. Now eat your breakfast and go to work."

Finnick held a hand to his heart, feigning hurt. "You're so eager to get rid of me," he bemoaned.

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Quit being a baby and hurry up. You'll be late again."

Finnick grinned at her, blowing her a kiss before scarfing down his food. Katniss may not remember what she said to him last night, but he did, and Finnick was elated. She loved him. Katniss loved him. She was _in_ love with him, he told himself. He was sure of it. He couldn't sleep for a while after that, just marveling at the woman in his arms. He kissed her face all over and chuckled when she grumpily pushed him away, turning her back to him but pulling his arm over her so that she could be spooned. Finnick had pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent greedily. He couldn't recall the last time he had been so happy.

Work alternately dragged on and flew by. Finnick was preoccupied with thoughts of Katniss and he couldn't wait to get home to see her, and so the day dragged on. He tempered the slowness with day dreams of her.

Towards the end of the day he heard someone calling his name. He turned around, spotting Hazelle. "Hi," he called cheerily, jogging over.

Hazelle smiled at him. "Someone's in a good mood."

Finnick beamed at her. "I'm happy," he agreed.

Hazelle's smile slowly fell and she bit her bottom lip. "So, did you watch the videos?"

Immediately Finnick's bright mood darkened. "Not all of them," he told her. "Just my Games and Katniss' Games. Haymitch kicked me out after that."

"Well," Hazelle said abruptly, "I just wanted to come and check on you and invite everyone over for dinner. Of course, it might be better if we ate at your house," she mused to herself. "So many of us. I'm sure Haymitch could use a good meal, the man can hardly take care of himself."

"That would be great," Finnick agreed.

"Then I'll make dinner tomorrow night," Hazelle told him. "Vick has been insisting on it for days now." The woman rolled her eyes and winked at Finnick.

"Well you tell that son of yours he better be a gentleman towards my Mavis," Finnick said, puffing his chest out but still smiling.

"I'll be sure he gets the message," Hazelle said, laughing lightly. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Finnick waved her goodbye before finishing his last task for the evening. They were making good progress on the school house and everyone was eager for the children to have a place to study again. Finnick jogged home, smelling the aromas from the kitchen. Katniss was making some sort of stew with a rabbit she had caught today, and Mavis was working on a dress in the living room.

Katniss turned to him when Finnick entered. "Hi," she greeted, smiling slightly.

Finnick glanced around, making sure Mavis wasn't watching, before softly closing the kitchen door. He stalked towards Katniss slowly, noting how she seemed to forget that she should be stirring her stew. He stopped in front of her, barely an inch of space between the two of them, and leaned down to look in her eyes.

"I'm going to kiss you," he said huskily, trapping her with his arms on either side of her body, and pushing her back against the counter.

"Okay," Katniss stuttered, eyes falling to his lips.

Finnick leaned forward, lightly pressing his lips against hers until she wrapped her hands around his neck and tugged him down, asking for more. He smiled against her mouth before obliging, pressing his body against hers. Katniss moaned softly against him, and Finnick lifted her up, sitting her on the counter. He slowly pressed himself between her legs and she automatically wrapped them around him.

Finnick grabbed her roughly by the hips and pulled her against him. "I want you so bad," he half whined before attacking her neck with his mouth. Katniss wrapped her arms around him, clutching his shirt. When he started sucking on the spot that drove her crazy, Katniss scraped her fingers across his back, moaning his name.

Finnick let his hands find their way under her shirt, going straight for her breasts. He squeezed her nipples sharply, and she cried out. Finnick quickly covered her mouth with his own again, hoping to stifle her noise lest Mavis come check on them. Katniss pulled Finnick to her more tightly with her legs and he groaned when he felt the heat between her legs press against his erection. Finnick let one hand move from squeezing her breast to work on the button of her shorts. Katniss stiffened for a moment, and Finnick sought out her eyes, but she kissed him again and he took it as his signal to keep going.

Denim was an awful thing, he thought. Denim and buttons and zippers. What happened to loose, flowing skirts that didn't require dexterous fingers to get past? At last Finnick was able to undo Katniss' shorts enough to slip his hand inside. She was wet, her panties damp, and Finnick bit down on her neck, trying to stabilize himself. He wanted nothing more than to push into her and fuck her over and over, but he wasn't entirely sure she was ready for it. Instead, he traced her folds through her panties, his penis pulsing with her shuddering breath, before he pulled her panties to the side and slipped a finger inside of her.

Katniss clutched his shoulders hard, giving a little cry of pleasure when he started to move his finger in and out of her. She buried her face in his neck, her cheeks flushed. "Finnick," she moaned against him. "More."

Obliging, Finnick slipped another finger inside, nipping her neck again as he felt her tight walls close around his fingers. He moved his hand faster, using his thumb to apply some pressure to her clit, and her moans redoubled, though she was doing her best to smother them against him. When he tried to insert a third finger, however, Katniss stiffened, squeezing her thighs together. Finnick pulled back, lifting her chin to look at her face and noted that she had an unpleasant grimace on. Finnick knew then, without asking, that she was still a virgin and currently three fingers was too much, let alone his own throbbing cock.

Finnick resumed his two finger assault and watched as Katniss' grimace transformed into an expression of pleasure. Finnick bent down further, catching one of her breasts with his mouth and sucking lightly, biting her nipple through her shirt, and she arched into him. She stuttered his name, weakly grabbing his shirt and she came, her walls squeezing his fingers as he kept his thumb pressed against her clit, forcing her into little spasms after she came down off her high.

Katniss laid her head against his shoulder, panting. Finnick kissed her neck a few times before removing his fingers from her still pulsing walls and bringing them to his own mouth, sucking away the juices. Katniss watched him with lidded eyes, the grey depths darkening as she watched him taste her. Finnick smirked at her, tweaking her nipple again, and she groaned. In retaliation, Katniss hesitantly brought her palm to the bulge of his pants, rubbing it unsurely. Finnick gripped her thighs tightly, the feeling of her palming him almost too much. He wanted her hands, her mouth around him. He wanted her naked beneath him and writhing in pleasure.

"Is dinner ready ye-oh my god! Sorry!"

Finnick whipped around just in time to see Mavis slamming the kitchen door. He let out a frustrated breath as Katniss removed her hand quickly, as though she'd been burned. "Fuck," he grumbled. Katniss was beet red, thoroughly embarrassed now that the haze of pleasure had been so unpleasantly broken. Finnick lifted her chin, tilting her face towards him and kissing her again, letting her know that he didn't want to be done.

Katniss kissed him back hesitantly, suddenly shy. "I um, I should you know, dinner..."

Finnick pulled back just enough to give her a heated look. "I'm not done with you," he told her huskily, but released her. He sauntered off upstairs, leaving her frazzled and staring after him. As soon as he made it to the safety of the bathroom, Finnick dropped his pants, wrapping his hand around his painfully hard erection and stroking himself. It didn't take long, just the memory of Katniss' face in full pleasure, and he burst all over his hand. He sighed happily, leaning against the wall for a minute as he enjoyed the after glow. Then he quickly cleaned himself up before heading back downstairs where both Katniss and Mavis were sitting at the table, a blush on their cheeks, and unable to look at him. Finnick smirked. While he was a bit embarrassed to have had Mavis walk in on them, he couldn't feel anything but pleasure at the thought of how he had made Katniss orgasm just minutes ago.

"I'm starved," he announced, tucking in. Finnick couldn't keep the stupid smirk off his face as he stared at Katniss across the table. She was pushing her food around her plate, occasionally taking a self-conscious bite, and sneaking glances at him. Katniss blushed every time she looked at Finnick, and each time she did he would wink at her.

They had finished their dinner and were cleaning up when a loud, persistent knocking on the front door caught their attention. Finnick got up to answer the door and stepped sideways as Haymitch nearly toppled onto him.

"You comin' over to finish these movies?" Haymitch asked him.

Floundering because he had forgotten about the movies in light of recent developments, Finnick quickly said, "Yes. Just not yet, we only now finished dinner." Haymitch swayed a little and Finnick reached out to steady him. "You want to come inside and sit down?"

Haymitch grunted and so Finnick took that as a yes. He led the man over to the kitchen table. "He reeks," Mavis complained quietly. It was true. Haymitch was soaked in the scent of alcohol and vomit. "Needs a bath."

"Are you offering?" Finnick asked her with a smile. Mavis made a face at him. "Oh go on, he won't bite."

"I don't want to," Mavis whined. She looked to Katniss for help, but the latter merely shrugged. No one wanted to take charge of a drunken Haymitch.

"Fine," Finnick sighed, grabbing hold of Haymitch and hoisting him up. "By the way, the Hawthorne's are making dinner here tomorrow." He noticed the excited flush on Mavis' cheeks as he carried Haymitch off to a shower.

"I can do it myself," Haymitch grumbled when Finnick tried to undress him.

"Alright then, go on. I'll get you a towel and throw these in the wash." Haymitch had undressed and started his shower when Finnick returned. "Need anything?"

"You need to come over and watch those other Games," Haymitch told him sternly. "There are things you need to think about before you go falling in love with Katniss."

Finnick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why can't anyone just tell me?" When Haymitch didn't answer, Finnick pressed on, "I heard you and Katniss talking the other day. What don't I know? What is everyone hiding from me?"

Finnick let the question linger in the air, waiting for Haymitch to respond. The minutes ticked by and Finnick grew more frustrated. When he was about ready to get up and storm off, Haymitch shut off the water. "Come over tonight. We'll talk about it then and I'll explain everything. Now get outta here and get me some clothes."

Finnick grudgingly left the bathroom, his heart pounding in excitement and fear. He would finally get some answers about his past. He rummaged through his meager collection clothes to find some that Haymitch might be able to wear and took them back to the man. He waited impatiently as Haymitch got dressed and then went in search of Katniss when the man finally emerged.

"I'm going to take Haymitch back," he told her quickly. Katniss frowned at him, opening her mouth to protest. Finnick bent down and kissed her, stifling anything she was about to say. "See you later."

Haymitch seemed more awake and sober now, and they walked quickly to his house. "Get outta the way," Haymitch complained, shooing some of his geese from the porch steps. Haymitch grabbed a bottle of liquor on his way to the room with the TV and motioned for Finnick to sit down. "I'm going to say a name, and I want you to tell me what it means to you."

Finnick nodded, a few butterflies dancing about his stomach. "Alright."

Haymitch took a drink of alcohol, fixing Finnick with a hard stare. "Annie Cresta."

The words resounded in his ears, and for some reason Finnick felt his heart fill with immense joy before clenching with despair. "Annie," he mumbled, trying the words out. "Annie," he said again, louder. He looked at Haymitch, searching the man's face for some clue. "I love her," he said slowly. "Who is she?"

"Your wife."

Finnick felt all the air leave him in a big whoosh. Wife. Annie was his wife. He had a wife. "What?" he said weakly. He didn't understand. How could he be married? He knew, somehow, that Annie meant the world to him, and yet he couldn't even remember her face.

"She's from your district. You were her mentor in her Games. She was the only woman to actually receive your love, aside from Katniss apparently. You were kind to her where other would abandon her." Haymitch got up and put one of the discs into the player. "These are her Games."

Finnick watched numbly as the video started. The introduction, interviews, and everything else were a blur until the moment Annie's name was called. Finnick's heart skipped a beat as he took in her visage: long brown hair that waved slightly and pretty green eyes. The close up on her face showed a dusting of freckles on Annie's tan skin, showed the fear in her eyes, though he face remained impassive. She walked towards the stage with the same sort of confidence that Finnick had.

His heart was thumping in his chest, and Finnick felt warm all over. He couldn't remember her worth a damn, but he loved her. Finnick watch, completely on edge the entire time, as Annie went through all the motions the Tributes had to. He flinched when she was hurt in the beginning battle, and had to look away when her District Four partner was beheaded. Her screams echoed in his ears as she ran away from the Careers, disappearing into the trees. Finnick watched, apprehensive, as the other Tributes were killed one by one. He knew Annie would make it out alive, but it was still a frightening thing to watch, as the last Tributes walked close to her hiding space, Annie curled up, hands over her ears and eyes squeezed shut, and then walked on past, unable to find her.

When the dam broke and water flooded the stadium he sighed in relief as Annie was able to swim her way to a tall tree and cling on for dear life. The other Tributes that remained weren't so lucky. One of them didn't know how to swim and immediately drowned when a wave crashed over him, and the other one floundered about for some time, often disappearing under the water for a few tense moments before reemerging, coughing and spluttering water. Finally she went down for a final time, and the last cannon shot. Annie, having been forced to swim again when her tree was overtaken, didn't seem to notice when the hovercraft rescued her from the water.

The interview was short. Annie was incapable of speaking to Cesar, spending nearly the entire time curled into herself, hands over her eyes. After a few difficult minutes at the beginning of the interview Finnick saw himself walk onstage to screams and whistles, sitting next to Annie and gently pulling one of her hands into his own. She seemed to come to a little then, and was able to answer a few short questions before Cesar let her go. Finnick watched as he walked off stage, holding the girl's hand.

The Victory Tour was equally painful, Annie barely able to stutter through her perfunctory speech at each District, and always having to look to Finnick for reassurance. He noted how he seemed extra gentle with her now, a change from how he was at the interview. He had a soft look reserved for Annie every time he ushered her off the stage, and Finnick knew that he was falling in love slowly but surely.

When the video ended he sat quietly, weighed down by what he learned. Finally he asked, "Tell me more."

Haymitch launched into an explanation of his relationship with Annie. He explained Annie's instability, and how Finnick was the one to break her from her episodes. He talked of Finnick's forced prostitution and how Annie would have been killed if he refused. He told Finnick of the time he spent in the hospital, after learning that Annie had been taken by the Capitol, then of her rescue and the happy days that had followed. He told Finnick of his wedding to Annie, one of the few bright days during the dismal war that raged around them. Then he told Finnick of his presumed death, when the Mutts tore into his flesh and they left him for dead.

"Where is she now?" Finnick asked after a long silence.

"Back home in District Four. Mrs. Everdeen is living with her, treating her and helping her."

"Katniss's mother?" Finnick asked, surprise written on his face.

"She couldn't bear to live here, she said. Too many painful memories, having lost her husband, and what she thought was both her daughters."

"I don't understand," Finnick said. "Katniss if alive."

Haymitch snorted. "You missed it all. Katniss tried for months to kill herself, locked in the hospital room after the war. She nearly succeeded a few times. Went just about as bonkers as Annie did. Even when she came back here she would stay in bed all day, never eating, never moving. Just staring off into space."

"That's why Sae comes to make food," Finnick realized slowly. "She's better now. Why doesn't her mother come back?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Started a life in Four. Last I heard she was a doctor there."

"And Katniss won't go visit her? I hardly think she'd want to stay here either," Finnick said, indignant on her behalf.

"Can't." When Finnick furrowed his brows in question, Haymitch continued, "Condition of her being let go was that she was banned from travelling out of District Twelve. Might be repealed someday, but no one seems to be in a big rush. Katniss may have been the symbol of the rebellion, but then she shot President Coin in front of everyone. Doesn't inspire a lot of faith in the masses. Now cool your jets, I ain't saying I think what she did was wrong or anything. Coin would have been as bad as Snow. Still, she couldn't just get off with no reprimand."

Finnick bit back the responses trying to force their way out. He took a deep breath. "What am I supposed to do then? What do I do?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Up to you."

Finnick glared at him. He got up and paced the room, his thoughts running wild. There was so much to process and he didn't even know where to begin. Finnick paused mid-step and glanced at Haymitch. "There's one more movie, right?"

Haymitch picked the case up and threw it at Finnick. "Watch it if you want. Not much in there anyway. Games were never finished."

Finnick turned to the TV and switched the discs. He watched silently the whole time, frowning when Annie's name was called and Mags took her place. His heart clenched as he watched District Twelve's Reaping, with Katniss the only name in the girls pile. Their escort, Effie Trinket he recalled, didn't seem so chipper this time around, as she pulled the names from the bowls. The whole district in fact seemed somber, much more somber than last time. There was a burning rage, he noticed, in all of the districts.

Finnick felt his cheeks grow hot when he saw himself at the Opening Ceremony, his form barely concealed. And if he didn't run the risk of seeming too arrogant, he could see exactly why all the women in the Capitol had fallen for him. He was gorgeous. Finnick glanced down at himself now, flexing his bionic hand and frowning. Those days were gone. His face and body were scarred, but maybe not so badly as his mind.

"So I did kiss Peeta," he grumbled out loud as he watched himself give CPR to the boy. "Ugh."

Haymitch passed out by the time Finnick and the rest were rescued from the arena. After that the movie went black. Finnick sat there for an undetermined amount of time, simply staring at the dark screen. His thoughts swirled about with Annie and Katniss and Peeta and the past that he didn't remember. When the light behind the curtains started to turn gold and bleed through Finnick realized he was crying. He brushed his tears away.

He had to see her. He had to see Annie. But then what of Katniss? _Peeta will come back for her,_ he thought darkly. Finnick shook his head. There was only one question that was really pressing on his mind at the moment. She had known all these things. She had known about Annie and their marriage and everything else, and yet she said she knew nothing.

Why had Katniss lied?

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**A/N: Just wanted to apologize for the big gap between updates...I truly appreciate that all of you are reading this, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story. Got some time on my hands now, so hopefully the chapters will come more quickly. Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Finnick woke with a groan, the sunlight blinding him through his closed eyes. He'd always had a hard time staying asleep when the sun rose, but it was made doubly so whenever he slept outside. He rubbed his eyes, his head pounding from lack of sleep, and all his thoughts from the night prior rushed back to him. Groaning again he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thoughts that had kept him tossing and turning for hours last night, and swung his legs over the edge of the hammock. He took a moment to stretch and flex, readjusting to his bionic limbs as he often had to in the morning, and staggered to his feet.

Finnick didn't much feel like facing Katniss today, especially not when he knew she would be upset by his lack of presence in bed. _Ridiculous,_ he thought briefly. _Not even having sex but she still wants me to sleep with her every night._ Finnick sighed, running his hand over his face. He was in a bad mood; best to leave the house for now, before anyone came looking for him.

Finnick let his feet guide him to the lake, purposefully trying to keep his mind blank the entire walk there. He really wanted to jump into the cool water and wash away all his aggravation, and when at last he reached his destination he practically ripped his clothes off before diving in. The water was colder than usual in the early morning, and it pricked at his skin as he swam to the bottom before using his legs to launch himself back up towards the surface.

He had a wife. Sure he didn't remember a damn thing about her, but when he saw her face his heart had leapt with joy and filled with love. Thinking of her face, the wavy brown hair and tanned skin, he realized with a jolt that Annie was the blurry face he had remembered when he first woke up, not Katniss. He did remember the younger woman, though. He remembered flashes of their lives when they had met before, during and after the Quarter Quell. He remembered taking solace in Katniss when everything seemed bleak and he had no hope. And he loved her. The love had sprung on him quite suddenly and surprisingly, but with such fervor that Finnick didn't quite know what to do with himself. He wanted to be with her always, but he didn't know if that was possible, what with him having a wife already, let alone the fact that Peeta "Loverboy" Mellark was returning to claim Katniss.

Then there was the problem of whether or not he could forgive Katniss for lying to him. _Stupid,_ he thought. Of course he would, it was more a matter of time. What he didn't understand is why she had lied to him about not having anyone else. He highly doubted Katniss was in love with him when she first answered that question, and so he couldn't see the reasoning behind her decision. Or maybe he just didn't know Katniss well enough.

Diving under the water again, Finnick realized he would have to just confront her. There was no sense in letting this drag on – he lived with her for goodness sake. But what would happen then, if he confronted her. Would he leave Katniss for Annie? He wasn't sure he was ready to leave. He loved the life he had here. He loved eating his meals with Katniss and Mavis, he loved when Hazelle would visit with them, and he even loved Sae and her granddaughter. Finnick had so many plans he still wanted to see through: a nice fish pond in the back yard, maybe some fruit trees, and landscaping; Katniss wouldn't admit it, but he knew she would love to see the endless bushes and grass broken up with brightly colored flowers.

Finnick shook his head, flinging water everywhere. He brought up a hand to wipe his bangs away from his eyes. His hair was growing back rapidly, and it was getting to the point where he would actually have to brush it if he wanted to make sure it wasn't tangled every day. He felt the scars on his face, how the skin was unnaturally smooth there and sighed. He didn't quite feel self-conscious about them; after all he wasn't the only person to have battle scars. And besides, Katniss didn't seem to mind them at all and often would trace them when she thought he was still asleep in the morning. He wondered what Annie would say. After watching the Games and seeing what Annie had turn into, he wasn't exactly sure what to make of her. He wished he remembered her better so he would have an idea of what to expect, but he'd just have to make do. One thing was for certain though, he'd have to see her after he resolved things with Katniss. He felt guilty, Annie thinking he was dead all this time when really he was alive and kicking.

Swimming to the lakes shore he slowly heaved himself out, enjoying the warming sun. He slipped back into his clothes and headed towards the house. Katniss must be up by now, maybe already finished with breakfast and wondering where he was. Finnick set a light jogging pace towards the house and soon enough found himself on the road towards Victor's Village.

"Ah, finally show your face. She's been in a bad mood all morning," Mavis called to him as he neared her on the road.

Finnick frowned. "I went for a swim."

Mavis shrugged, unable to do much more with her arms laden down with fabrics. "Well, the sooner you get home the better I'd say."

"Do you need help carrying those?"

Mavis looks beyond him then blushes lightly. "Nope," she says, smile taking over her face. "Hi Vick!"

Finnick glanced behind him to see the boy running up to help Mavis with her things. "Have a good day," Finnick says, resuming his slight jog back to the house. Katniss is sitting in her arm chair staring out the window when he arrives.

"Katniss?" he calls softly. He was still dripping, so he heads to one of the closets and grabs a towel to dry himself with.

"Finnick." She isn't happy with him, refusing to turn her face to look at him, but Finnick knows that if she did she would probably be glaring at him instead of the pane of glass she currently is.

Finnick hesitates, unsure how to broach the subject. A million different things bubble to the tip of his tongue, but finally he chokes out, "Annie." Katniss flinches and he sees her deflate a bit. She still refuses to turn to him, and Finnick feels himself grow hot with anger. "Really, Kat? Nothing to say?"

"What is there to say?" she says quietly. "You found out. I lied to you." She finally turns to look at him, and her face is stoic. He's seen this face before, during her Games. It's the face she would put on when she was desperate to hide her emotions. It halts his fury for a moment, but he can't help himself. All the frustrations he's been feeling about his lack of memory, about his whole situation really, just tumble out of him and he knows Katniss will get the brunt of them.

"Yeah, and a lot of good that did you. What, did you think that I would never find out? That I would keep living this lie with you? Because that's what this is, Katniss, a lie. We were never anything more than friends, and you knew that. You knew that I had Annie, that I had a _wife_," he stresses the word angrily, "and yet you pretended that I was as lost and alone as you are. Did that make you feel better? Thinking you could help poor, lost Finnick Odair back on his feet? This isn't District Thirteen you know. There are people out there waiting for us, fighting to get back to us, or hoping we're still alive somewhere."

Katniss frowns at him but refuses to fight back. He can see tears glistening in her eyes, but she blinks them away. "I've already moved your things from my room," she says instead. "Trains leave every day, you could see Annie as soon as tomorrow if you hurry up and catch the evening train."

Finnick stares at her in disbelief. "What?" Katniss just stares at him, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her face blank. She's taking fast, shallow breaths, followed by a long, deep one, and Finnick knows she's having trouble pretending to not care.

"What the _fuck_, Katniss?" She starts at his outburst and Finnick advances on her. "Really? You're going to do this now? Pretend like everything is okay. You're not even going to explain yourself?"

He's too close to her now, glaring down at her, and Katniss pushes against him. "Finnick stop." He grabs her hands to stop her from pushing against him and takes a step closer.

"You're just going to let me run off? You're not even going to try and stop me? You're going to pretend like nothing between us ever happened?"

"What do you want me to do?" she finally shouts at him, wrenching her hands free. "You want me to fall on my knees and beg you not to go? You want me to tell you how much I love you and how I don't want to live without you? That's not going to stop you, Finnick. You're still going to-"

Finnick pulls her close, crashing his lips against hers. Katniss responds fiercely, tangling her hands in his hair and desperately kissing him back. Finnick walks forward, moving them back towards the couch and guiding Katniss down with his hands on her waist. He tugs her shirt up, eagerly skimming his hands across her stomach and frowning slightly as he sees how sharply her ribs stand out. He wants to say something about it, but suddenly Katniss's hands find their way to the hem of his shirt and she's trying to pull it off of him. Finnick helps her take his shirt off before he brings his own hands to the clasp of her bra.

Finnick pauses, looking at Katniss for permission and she bring him down for another kiss. Finnick fumbles with the clasp for a moment, hating his clumsy bionic hand, and when he gets it free he moves his mouth to her neck, nipping lightly. Katniss moans loudly at the sensation and she grinds her hips against his. Finnick groans against her neck, pressing against her with his erection. He squeezes her breast lightly, gently tweaking her nipple and she squirms beneath him.

Finnick lets his hand trail down her side to her pants, unbuttoning them and tugging them down. She helps him shimmy out of her pants and he slips his hand between them again finding her wet. He wants her so bad right he doesn't want to wait, but Finnick knows better than to let her first time be on a couch. He scoops her up in his arms and she makes a surprised noise and wraps her arms around his neck as he carries her up the stairs. Finnick nudges the door open and then closed before he tumbles onto the bed with her.

Katniss is kissing him again, her hands moved from his neck to his hair and he fumbles with his pants, shoving them down and kicking them off before quickly following them with his pants. He repositions himself so that he can rub his dick against her through her panties and she moans again before she stills. Finnick takes in her rigid posture and stops all his ministrations.

"Katniss?" he asked gently.

"Sorry, just…Not sure I'm ready," she admits.

Finnick swallows his disappointment. "That's okay," he says quickly. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

Katniss ducks her head and presses her face against his chest. "I'm sorry."

Finnick takes her face in his hands and lifts it up to his. "You don't have to be sorry. I don't want to pressure you."

Katniss frowns and looks away. "No, I mean…About Annie." Finnick can tell she is ready to talk so he leans back and starts to play with her hair while he waits for her to explain. "I uh, well I just…You were right. I saw you lost and alone, and I knew you and you didn't remember anything. I just wanted to have someone as broken as me. I just wanted a chance to be happy again."

Finnick brushes her hair behind her ear. "I am happy. I love being here, I love spending time with you." Katniss could feel the 'but' coming and so she turns slightly away from him, hiding her face from his view. "But I need to find Annie. I need to figure this out."

"Yeah I know," she replies, pulling the covers up around herself.

"Katniss," he says softly.

"I'm just gonna take a nap," she interrupts. Finnick opens his mouth to argue but the doorbell ringing interrupts him. "Will you get it?"

Finnick sighs and rolls off the bed, pulling his pants back on. "Yeah," he says as he exits the room. Every time they made some progress she would shut down and it was maddening. Finnick picks up his shirt along the way and hears the doorbell ring again followed by a quick succession of knocks. Finnick grabs Katniss's discarded clothes and hides them under a blanket before going to the door. He runs his hand wearily across his face as he opens the door. "Yes?"

Standing in front of him is a shocked Peeta, blond hair long and shaggy and jaw slightly slack, hand poised to continue knocking. "Finnick?"

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**A/N: **Hi everyone. I'm really very sorry for not updating. I just wanted to warn you now that it will probably be a while before I update again (think weeks). I've lost direction with this story (and some passion for it), and until I can get it back I don't want to fumble through another chapter as bad as this one was. As you can see, I've set things up so that when I return the story will move along and be much more exciting. Again, I apologize for this, and the incredible shortness of this chapter. In the meantime I might post other little things that have taken my fancy to write out, so think of them as healing tools on my road to recovery for inspiration for this story.


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